


The White Fire of The Dog Demon

by p_u_m_p_k_i_n



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga), InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alpha Sesshoumaru (InuYasha), Alternate Universe, Beta and general OC Keisuke, Bottom Light Yagami, Commander of the castle guard OC Yousuke, Crossover, Dom Sesshoumaru (InuYasha), Inuclan hierarchy, Inuyash/Death Note, Light Yagami is forced to submit to the clan hierarchy, Light Yagami supports the Inuclan, M/M, Original Character(s), Rin - Freeform, Ryuk - Freeform, Sesshoumaru's son - cute Yashimaru, Sesshoumaru/Yagami Light, Slash, Slow Burn, Time Travel, Yagami Light - Freeform, Yagami Light is Sesshoumaru's mate, calculating and smart Light Yagami who pursues his own plans, inuyasha - Freeform, kohaku - Freeform, sesshoumaru - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:21:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26543605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/p_u_m_p_k_i_n/pseuds/p_u_m_p_k_i_n
Summary: Light Yagami ends up in the Sengoku period because of Ryuk. Without the power of Kira, in a world where humans are being eaten by demons, Light has no choice but to join the most feared among them, Sesshōmaru. In his search for finding a way back to his time he can only trust his own mind.
Comments: 26
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Death Note.
> 
> For a very long time I wasn't sure if I should start translating my German Inuyasha/Death Note crossover fic into English. This story has already over 100.000 words and I know translating it will take up a lot of my time. The first chapter itself is around 6000 words long, but I decided to not upload more than 2000-2500 words for each chapter. 
> 
> I started this story around 2012 and I can't really remember why I chose a pairing like Sesshoumaru x Light Yagami. I believe I wanted Sesshoumaru to have a smart and capable mate. Since then it has grown into this huge story. 
> 
> This story focus a lot on the Inuclan and it will show some very fleshed out original characters. Just something to keep in mind if you don't prefer original characters :)

Light Yagami held Ah-Uhn's reins and followed Sesshōmaru into the village. The villagers quickly got out of their way and hid in their huts. Light glanced at them disdainfully. They were simple farmers. No one who deserved his interest.

Ryuk, Light's Shinigami, lay on his back and floated beside him. He watched the villagers with a broad grin, showing them his pointed teeth. "Hyuk, Hyuk," came it gurgling from Ryuk. "Sesshōmaru still seems to impress them greatly. It doesn't matter how often he visits the girl."

Light briefly glanced at Ryuk but didn't comment on his words. He was too absorbed in thoughts to bother with the Shinigami's petty chatter. Ryuk noticed Light ignoring him and left him alone. He passed the Daiyōkai and let himself hang upside down in front of him.

"What do you want, Shinigami?", Sesshōmaru asked in an indifferent voice that didn't exactly sparkle with interest.

Ryuk's mouth twisted into a broad smile. He came closer to Sesshōmaru's face. "Light told me that your nose is very good. Can it detect apples? I could eat some." 

"No"

Ryuk's grin vanished, and he looked at the Daiyōkai sinisterly.

"It’s not my duty to satisfy your insatiable greed for apples. If you want apples, Shinigami, ask your human."

With that, Sesshōmaru walked through the Shinigami and ended the conversation. Ryuk looked after him sulking for a moment before he flew back to Light.

"I liked the detective better, at least he was interesting to watch," Ryuk complained.

Light's left eyebrow twitched. "And whose fault is it that you can't do it now?"

Ryuk gurgled. "Excuse me Light. I know how much you want to cleanse the world of criminals. Had I known what was in that box..."

"...you would have given it to me anyway," Light finished the sentence angrily. "Spare me your words, Ryuk. We both know that your only concern is to have fun. And judging by your words, you like this time a lot better."

Ryuk was hovering over Ah-Uhn. "Have you ever tasted apples in this time, Light? They taste delicious. Besides, I can talk to most demons. The other day, I had a most enlightening conversation with a Bearyōkai. Do you want to know what he told me?"

"No."

Light left Ah-Uhn in front of the hut that Sesshomau had entered. The voice of an excited girl was reaching his hear. He pushed aside the straw mat that hung over the entrance and entered.

Rin, Sesshōmaru's twelve-year-old adopted daughter, saw him. She interrupted the story she was telling Sesshōmaru and beamed at him joyfully. Besides her, there was an older woman in the room. As far as Light knew, her name was Kaede and she taught Rin how to heal with herbs.

"Light-sama!" Rin shouted, "Sesshōmaru-sama has brought you, too." She ran up to him and hugged him.

Light returned the hug, though a little stiff, but Rin didn't seem to notice his discomfort. She smiled up to him. "I have so many questions for you. You must answer them all, yes?"

"Oh?", Ryuk said beside him. "The girl seems to have taken you into her heart." Ryuk circled Rin curiously.  
"Did Ryuk come, too?" Rin asked excitedly and looked around the room searching for him, despite knowing that she could not see the Shinigami.

"Tell her that I'm right beside her."

Light complied with Ryuk's request, even though it annoyed him to play the translator for the Shinigami. "Ryuk is on your right. He's happy to see you."

Rin clapped her hands elated and immediately turned to the right to greet the Shinigami with a polite bow. Ryuk seemed to like that because his next words were: "Light! Light! Now ask her to bring me apples."

Light sighed and rubbed his temples. "Ryuk wants to know if you have apples for him."

"But of course! Wait, Ryuk-sama, I'll go get some for you." Rin ran out of the hut. She was heard greeting Ah-Uhn, then her steps faded away on the dry earth. Light was sure that she went to get some straight from the tree.

Sesshōmaru gave him a disapproving look. The Daiyōkai had made it very clear, shortly after their first meeting, that Light was solely responsible for the Shinigami. It was Light's job to supply him with apples and also his job to keep him under control. But Light knew Rin liked bringing Ryuk apples, it fascinated her to watch the apples hovering in the air and being eaten by the Shinigami. But that wasn't the real reason why Light had passed Ryuk's words on to her.

A year ago, he and Ryuk had landed together in the Sengoku period. It was the time when the Daimyo Oda Nobunaga and his friend Toyotomi Hideyoshi tried to unite the fragmented Japan. It was a time when great unrest ruled the country and the Daimyos fought each other. And yet, Light would have been able to find his way through these dangerous times easily. After all, he knew about every event that was about to happen, which gave him a great advantage.

However, he had not expected to find demons in Japan's past. Demons that were much stronger than humans, demons wo liked to hunt and eat humans. Light was not quite sure if this was a parallel world he had landed in. If it was the actual past, then the question was how the demons got extinct in the future. Surely there had to be enough independent sources that reported about demons. It was hard to believe that there were no records besides fables.

Light had come into this world without his Death Note. He had had kendo lessons in school and could handle a sword, but it only helped him against the more stupid demons. He soon realized that if he wanted to survive here, he would need a patron. At first he thought of Oda Nobunaga. He was currently the most feared person in Japan and Light had five years left until Nobunaga's death in 1582. But then he met the Daiyōkai Sesshōmaru. He was the Lord of the West and Light knew instantly that he was the person he was looking for.

Light managed to convince Sesshōmaru of his usefulness ,and now he stood here, twelve months and fourteen days later, at his side as Light Yagami, Sesshōmaru's personal advisor and strategist. Light felt dependent on the Daiyōkai, which he did not like at all. Although it had been his own decision to join him, he could hardly accept that he had been robbed of the title Kira and everything it contained. He had been a god and now? Now he was the subject of a demon. Sesshōmaru protected what belonged to him, but he also demanded obedience and submissiveness. How many times had Light had to swallow his pride in the presence of the demon. Kira wouldn't have had to endure all this, but Light wasn't Kira anymore.

He wasn't a god anymore. He was a human who belonged to a demon. Light had fallen very deep.

Rin came back with a basket full of apples. Well, it was very simple why he told Rin Ryuk's wish for apples. It showed Sesshōmaru that Light did not obey every command he gave him and more importantly, it kept Ryuk quiet. The Shinigami could be quite annoying with his addiction to apples.

"When will Inuyasha be back," Sesshoumaru asked the old woman, while Ryuk greedily devoured the apples Rin held in the air.

"Probably tonight."

Sesshōmaru nodded. "We'll go," he said and left the hut. Rin gave the last apples to Ryuk and followed him outside, where she climbed on Ah-Uhn's back. Light sat in the saddle behind her. Sesshōmaru was already in the air and flying north. Light embraced Rin's delicate body and took Ah-Uhn's reins in his hands. He let them buckle briefly. Ah-Uhn took off from the ground and flew after his master.

They were both silent for a while. Light enjoyed the quietness, as it was untypical for the girl who otherwise bombard him with questions. And though Light believed himself to give answers to children quite easily, for the first time in his life, Rin managed to ask him questions that he could not answer. Questions about demons.

Shortly after his first and unfortunate encounter with a demon, Light started to study these creatures. In the beginning he tried to get as much knowledge about them as possible to increase his survival rate. But now that he had the Lord of the West as his patron, Light didn't have to worry about survival anymore. Nevertheless, by moving into Sesshoumaru's castle, he had only deepened his study of demons. Sesshoumaru's private library proved to be extremely useful for this.

Light noticed Rin sliding restlessly back and forth on Ah-Uhn's saddle. He knew what would happen next, so he wasn't surprised when she turned to him. "Inuyasha-sama told me he had seen strange people."

"Did he?" Light wasn't really impressed. For Inuyasha, many people were strange. According to him, Light himself was one of them, perhaps the strangest of all.

Rin nodded. "Big men with funny puffy pants and sleeves. Some are said to be so hairy that they look like animals. Their noses are so long." Rin showed Light exactly how long and exaggerated abundantly. "And their eyes are so big." Again, her portrayal was far from realistic. "Inuyasha-sama saw them loading goods in the harbor. They came by ship, but where they come from, he couldn't tell. Nee, Light-sama, do you know who these people are?"

"Portuguese," Light replied without thinking about it.

"Portuguese," Rin repeated the word, mimicking Light's pronunciation. "What country are they from? The people in the village say that they come from far away."

"Their country is called Portugal. It is several months away from Japan by ship."

"Months?" Rin looked down at her fingers thoughtfully, then looked up and laughed at him. "Thirty or thirty-one days and a year has twelve months, but that's so long!"

Light's face remained unchanged, but inside he shook his head. His eyes looked over her black mop of hair and bored into the back of the Daiyōkai before them. Sesshoumaru, like L, was difficult to see through. He could not understand why Sesshoumaru let Rin stay with the old woman, who taught her nothing but to heal with herbs. How old was she again? Twelve, and she didn't immediately realize how many days a month had. The child needed a proper school education. Was she able to read and write at all?

"Can Light-sama talk to the Portuguese? I'm sure Sesshōmaru-sama wouldn't mind if we went to visit them at the harbor."

Light frowned. He found it strange that Rin paid so much attention to the foreigners. "I don't speak Portuguese, but if someone speaks English, I'll be able to communicate."

"English?"

"In this century, English is a language spoken in the country called England. It is possible that one of the Portuguese may know this language. But essentially, it's meaningless because Sesshoumaru-sama will not allow a visit."

Rin seemed confused. "Why should he not allow it? If he's with us, nothing can happen to us." Her eyes suddenly grew large. She squeezed Light's hand reassuringly. "You dont have to be afraid of the foreigners. Sesshoumaru-sama has always protected me. He will protect you, too."

Light's face showed no emotion. But he wondered how Rin had come up with the absurd idea he could be afraid of the Portuguese. He thought more about the fact that Sesshoumaru didn't trade with the Portuguese, so he would consider it a waste of his time to visit them. Light agreed with him. He himself thought it was a waste of time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit weird to read what I've written so many years ago. My writing style from back then is different from how I write now. Also, the pacing of the story is a lot faster at the beginning, eventually it'll slow down.

He was wrong. Apparently, the girl had more influence on Sesshōmaru than Light had believed. After they had landed on a meadow, Rin immediately ran to Sesshōmaru to ask him. Light had only listened with one ear, knowing that Sesshōmaru would say no, all the more he was surprised when Rin's proposal was accepted by him. Light would remember that Sesshomaru's weakness for Rin was greater than expected. Maybe this could be useful for him in the future.

And now they headed to the harbor. From their position Light could already see the ship with the three high masts and different sized sails. They were rolled up and moored. Portugal's flag was blowing in the wind.

Rin ran ahead, but Sesshomaru called her back. Obediently she turned around and from then on did not leave Sesshōmaru's side again. They crossed a wide road and entered the town. It was clear that these were not shabby huts, but that these buildings could be called houses, some of which were two-storied. The port apparently brought the people here a certain prosperity. To his amazement, Sesshomaru was watched suspiciously by the locals, but otherwise they didn't mind him. So they had contact with demons.

"What is the name of the town?" asked Light Sesshōmaru.

"Itouwa."

Itouwa? Light knew no town in Japan with that name. Either he was really in a parallel world that was very similar to his own, or the name had changed over the next hundred years. At the harbor Light saw several samurai standing guard. They wore Oda Nobunaga's crest on their armor. A five-petalled flower. When Sesshōmaru approached the samurai, they drew their swords. The foreigners who loaded goods behind the samurais stopped their work and watched their arrival curiously.

"Yōkai?," Light heard the word for demon. One of the Portuguese joined the samurai and glanced at them first, then at the samurai next to him, frowning. 

"What's going on here," he asked the samurai with a rather strong accent and impatient voice.

"Yōkai," the samurai repeated and spit on the floor. "What do you want?" he addressed Sesshōmaru. Light saw Sesshōmaru tightening his right hand. He knew from experience that Sesshōmaru was about to let his light whip appear.

"Examine the goods of the gaijin," Sesshōmaru answered him and slowly relaxed his hand again. "Or did the ningen daimyō claim them all for himself," he added in a condescending tone.

The samurai didn't notice his luck. Sesshōmaru had decided to let him live. Before the samurai could reply, the Portuguese man pushed past him. His face was covered by a thick black beard. Big intelligent eyes watched Sesshōmaru from top to bottom. He seemed satisfied with what he saw, for he suddenly indicated to follow him. He led them along the harbor, past several houses, half of which were built on pillars and jutted out into the water, to the largest house in the town. It had four floors and towered high. When they entered, a large room stretched out in front of them, filled with wooden boxes.

The Portuguese began to open one by one to show them the goods inside. For Rin, he took out a comb decorated with stones and presented her with the matching mirror. Rin accepted both pieces and admired the semiprecious stones. He wanted to give Sesshōmaru a musket, but he cleared his throat embarrassedly after the demon only stared at it unimpressed.

Light was not interested in the goods of the Portuguese. He stepped outside and strolled along the harbor promenade. The sea was calm, a light wind blew and spread the smell of the salty sea all over the town. Seagulls squealed and stalked the wooden planks of the pier. Behind him a man paused in his work. He put the box he had just carried from the ship's storeroom down on the ground and followed Light.

The eyes of the man became large. The corners of his mouth moved upwards and he began to laugh joyfully. He grabbed Light’s shoulder brotherly but with a firm grip. Inside Light flinched, but on the outside he didn't let anything show.

"Haha! I can't believe it. You're really one of those bastards. So, where's your father? Is he still in the country or already back in England?" 

Light had trouble understanding the man's English. He spoke old-fashioned English. Some of the words were no longer used in his time or were used in a modified form, but he understood the content. He slapped the man’s hand off of his shoulder, and looked at him in annoyance.

"I'm neither a bastard nor am I half-japanese," replied Light in English and with these words he left the man who looked after him in bewilderment. Light walked back to Sesshomaru and Rin. They had just left the house still in the company of the Portuguese man. Rin waved happily at him, carrying a small package under her arm.

"Hey wait! I don't understand!" 

Angrily, Light turned around, his hand resting on the handle of his katana. But instead of seeing the man, long white hair filled his field of vision. Sesshōmaru stood before him. The tip of Bakusaiga drilled into the man's chin, pushing his head back. A small trickle of blood had formed and ran down over the man's Adam's apple. It stained the hem of his white shirt red.

The man held his arms up in a calming manner. "Easy, easy there! Sorry if I touched your precious boy," he said in English, while he countered Sesshōmaru's dangerous gaze with a wry grin, then he looked over to Light. "Well, I can understand that he fucks you, lad. You got quite the look." 

Sesshōmaru growled, but did nothing more. Light knew that the Lord of the West had no qualms about killing. The Englishman could consider himself lucky that Rin was present. But Light would not simply accept his insult. He rushed past Sesshōmaru, took a swing and punched the man in the face. Another blow with his sword sheath into his belly and the Englishman writhed on the floor.

Light snorted contemptuously, then turned around and walked past a startled Rin and a thoughtful-looking Portuguese merchant. Sesshōmaru's eyes followed Light as he moved away from the group, his face remained expressionless. No one could have said what the Lord of the West was thinking at that moment.

* * *

Light and Rin sat around a campfire roasting fish on sticks that Rin had caught in a nearby river. One thing Light had to hand it to her, she knew how to survive in the wild. Rin had unwrapped the package and was looking at herself in the mirror now. With the comb she brushed her long black hair. Light watched her. Her fascinated expression gave him the certainty that it was the first mirror she had ever held in her hand. She stared dreamily at her reflection, now and then sighing softly.

"Do you think I look beautiful?" She suddenly looked up and over the flames to Light.

Light examined her round and innocent looking face, her shiny, straight hair, her petite body and the expensive kimono she was wearing. Normally, this type of kimono was only worn for special festivities, otherwise, the yukata was preferred. It was simpler in color, pattern and material than the kimono. Also, a yukata gave more freedom of movement.

Light knew about Kohaku, the boy who had a special place in Rin's heart. Perhaps she imagined a future with the demon slayer and forgot what it meant to be the adopted daughter of the Daiyōkai of the West.

Even though she was not the biological daughter of Sesshōmaru, her status was equal to that of a princess. Sesshōmaru would look for a suitable husband for her, and Light was sure that the boy would not be chosen.

Light put on a charming smile. "A man would have to be blind not to see what a beauty you are."

Rin's cheeks instantly turned a soft red. Embarrassed, she ran her hand through her hair and pushed it behind her ear. Silently, she grabbed a fried fish and began to eat. Light had to wait a little longer for his own to be ready. After they had eaten the fish, Rin lay down to sleep. Light, however, got up and walked past Ah-Uhn, whose right head lifted slightly and watched him sleepily as he disappeared into the forest to get new firewood.

The leaves crunched under his feet. Light was collecting branches, which turned out to be not an easy task in the dark. While he searched the ground for usable dry branches, he listened for treacherous sounds. Although Sesshōmaru was nearby, Light would stay alert. When it came to his safety, he would not rely on the Lord of the West alone. Light had an arm full of wood and was about to turn back when he heard the rustling of cloth behind him. Immediately, his heart began to beat faster. He turned around and exhaled in relief. Sesshōmaru stood before him. His white clothes and his white hair ghostly glowed in the weak light of the moon.

"It is you."

"There are no yōkais around," replied Sesshōmaru and approached Light.

Light's human instincts urged him to retreat from the demon, but he remained standing straight and raised his chin slightly. He held Sesshōmaru's gaze. Eventually, the Daiyōkai moved past him, while his hand stroked through Light's hair.

"Come, there is a hot spring nearby. You smell."

Light, who cared very much for his appearance, was sure that he did not smell. But he also knew how sensitive a dog demon's nose was. It was not difficult to locate the hot spring if following the penetrating stench of sulfur. They arrived at a river with steam hanging over it. Over the centuries the water had formed separate pools that were connected to each other, ideal to rest in one of these pools and to relax. Light put the firewood down next to the water and began to slip out of his clothes. Folded neatly, he put his clothes on a fallen tree trunk. Light waded carefully into the hot water, before letting himself sink, and he sat on a stone beneath the water surface opposite of Sesshōmaru.

"Do you have the documents finished for Keisuke-san?"

Light nodded. "He received them yesterday." Light had studied the castle's layout for two weeks. He had noted weak points in the castle wall and worked out suggestions for improvement. Keisuke, Sesshōmaru's general, had asked him for it. By now it was well known among the demons of the inuclan that Light was exceptionally smart and talented for a human being.

"Come here." Sesshomaru beckoned him to come to him, but Light stayed where he was and instead returned Sesshomaru's command with a smile that would have made any woman weak. It had no effect on the demon.

"How about a challenge?" said Light. His smile became wider.

Sesshōmaru raised an eyebrow questioningly.  
"And that would be?"

"A race. Your demonic strength against my mind. What do you think, Sesshōmaru-sama? Tomorrow, after Rin-chan returns to the village, you will give me a head start. I will head for your castle and you must catch me before I reach it.«

For a moment, Light had the impression that Sesshōmaru's demon appeared, but in the faint light and with his human eyes, it could just have been his imagination.

"And you believe your mind stands a chance against me?"

Light shrugged and leaned against a rock. "I studied your species."

Sesshōmaru took off his own clothes, stepped into the water and swam over to Light. Light looked at his well-trained and flawless body. Sesshōmaru's long white hair floated on the water and tickled Light's arms and chest. 

"And what will I get if I catch you before you reach my castle?" Sesshōmaru leans forward.

"You ...", Light paused as Sesshōmaru approached his face. "You'll get me," he finally said.

The corners of Sesshomaru's mouth hardly moved, but Light thought he saw a small smile.

"Light Yagami, are you rebelling? What you offer me, I have long since received." With that, Sesshomaru covered the last centimeters and enclosed Light's mouth with his. Sesshōmaru pressed Light's body against the rock behind him and kissed him deeply.

Light clung to Sesshōmaru for a better grip. He tried to gain the upper hand, which Sesshōmaru's demon commented with a deep growl and pressed him even harder against the rock. Light groaned into Sesshōmaru's mouth. He would never admit it, but the aura of power that surrounded Sesshōmaru was very arousing for Light. His cock got hard and pressed against Sesshōmaru, who Light could feel was as aroused as himself. Light's desire to be taken by Sesshōmaru increased with every second, but if he should give in to his desire his whole plan would be ruined.

Light broke free and buried his face in Sesshōmaru's neck. He drew Sesshōmaru's scent eagerly into his nose. For Light, the Daiyōkai smelled like forest, fir needles and resin. He carried a very masculine smell. "If you take me Sesshōmaru-sama, where will be the fun for when you catch me? Unless, of course, I outwit you and I arrive at the castle first."

"Hn. What does Light want if he wins?"

"That you help me find a way back to my time." Light knew the effect his words would have, and he was right, Sesshōmaru stiffened. Without a word Sesshōmaru let go of him and stepped out of the water. Light could see Sesshōmaru's erection. The Daiyōkai ignored it and put his clothes back on. He attached Bakusaiga to his hip and came to a halt at the edge of the water, from where he looked down at Light.

"Why does it seem to me that whether you lose or not, you will win. I will not consent under these conditions."

Light frowned.

"If I win, Light Yagami," Sesshōmaru continued, "you will forget your old life and give up any thought of returning to your time. The person you once were no longer exists. Only a fool lives in his past. Your place is at my side. You belong to my clan and you alone serve it. If you agree, then I am ready to accept your challenge."

Light pushed himself off the rock and also rose from the hot water. He stepped beside the demon and looked at him. "With pleasure," he answered with a confident smile. Light dressed under Sesshōmaru's watchful eyes, carried the wood back to the camp and threw some of the branches into the fire, finally he lay down next to Rin to sleep. The girl noticed him and snuggled up to his warm body. Light let it happen. He turned on his back and watched the stars above them. He admitted he was playing dangerously, too dangerously. But this plan could be his salvation. A way back to his own time. He had not given up on Kira yet. No one but him would be able to lead the new world he had begun to create. He was needed. The humans needed a protector from criminals, they needed Kira. Damn Ryuk! Because of him and this wooden box, he was stuck here.

Light closed his eyes. His skills were not the problem why he hadn't found a way back to his time yet, it was his lack of knowledge. He had been here for just over a year and although he spent a lot of time in Sesshōmaru's private library, his knowledge was still limited. The Daiyōkai had lived for several hundred years. Light was sure that with Sesshōmaru's help he would find a way back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I was impatient when I started the story, they are already close to each other. It might be a little bit like a jump into cold water, but I promise it will feel more natural soon.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day they headed back to the village. Inuyasha was sitting in a tree and jumped down when he saw them coming. "Oi! Sesshōmaru, you bring Rin-chan back."

"Inuyasha-sama!" Rin called and ran to meet him. "Look what Sesshōmaru-sama gave me." She proudly showed him the comb and the mirror. "We went to the Portuguese and Sesshōmaru-sama bought them for me."

"You went to the Portuguese?" Inuyasha took the mirror from her hand and for a brief moment he looked at himself. "Keh!" he said. "Are these even real gems?"

"Semi-precious stones," Rin corrected him.

Inuyasha gave the mirror back to Rin. "Oi, Yagami! Your Shinigami was looking for you."

Light looked around, but couldn't see Ryuk floating in the air.   
"Where is he?" 

"Dunno... I think he said something about a special apple orchard he found, before he flew away." Then all of a sudden Inuyasha started to smell the air around Light. "Sesshōmaru?" He looked at his half-brother questioningly, then his face turned into a gloating grin. "Ha! Who would have thought that the great, mighty Sesshōmaru would be interested in a ningen."

"Inuyasha, don't talk about things that are of no concern to you."

Immediately, Inuyasha crossed his arms in front of his chest in a dismissive posture. "You can't stop me from talking. Besides, if you don't want me to say it out loud, then maybe the ningen shouldn't smell like you."

"Wait a minute!" Light hissed, stepping in front of Inuyasha. "I took a bath yesterday. I shouldn't smell like him anymore."

Inuyasha laughed gleefully. "Looks like I know more than you, Yagami. Sesshōmaru is a daiyōkai. You can't just wash his smell off you so easily, especially not if you sleep with him regularly. Any yōkai will know you belong to him."

For the first time, Light's mask slipped. He suddenly felt hot all over his body. He started sweating... How could he have missed this information? For his plan to work, it was important that he could wash away the smell of the daiyōkai. A large part of his success was based on this. Did he even have a chance to win now? Light knew how to hide his own smell from Sesshōmaru's keen nose, but would this method work with Sesshōmaru's own scent on him? Did this mean that the challenge was already lost before it had even begun?

Light grabbed Inuyasha by the collar and pulled him behind him. "I hate to admit it, but I need your help."

Inuyasha, who was about to break free, suddenly pricked up his ears curiously and let Light drag him away from Sesshōmaru. They stopped a great distance from the daiyōkai behind a hut where Light let go of him.

Inuyasha looked at him visibly surprised. "My help?" he said. "The all-knowing Yagami needs my help," His mouth twisted into a smug smile. "Hey ... and what do I get for my help?"

"My respect," Light replied simply.

Inuyasha snorted. "Do you think I need your respect, Yagami? Do you think I care about what you think of me? I am used to ningens and yōkais despising me for being a hanyō. One more doesn't matter."

"Then you may be surprised to hear that I don't care if you're hanyō or not."

Inuyasha's dismissive attitude loosened a bit. He started babbling confusedly "But ... but if that's not the reason, why do you treat me every time as if I am unworthy to be in your presence?

Light's answer to that was simple. Inuyasha was an idiot in his eyes. He spoke without thinking first. He ran into every fight without using his mind, waving his sword around in an uncoordinated way. He was quick-tempered, tactless and had no control over his emotions. He was everything that Light could not stand.

"I have no problem with you, Inuyasha" The lie came from his lips without any problems. Light used his acting skills. "But I admit that I often didn't give you the respect you deserved." Suddenly, Light stretched out his hand in the direction of the half-demon and gave him a warm smile. "What do you say shall we try again?"

Inuyasha grumbled incomprehensible words to himself. He hesitated noticeably long. But Light's smile did not waver and finally the half-demon grabbed Light's hand in a short, firm grip.

"So, what do you want to know and make it quick, I don't have endless time.

Finally, Light thought. "I want to know how I can get rid of the scent of a daiyōkai?"

"So that's what this is all about." Inuyasha looked around furtively. Light got the impression that he was looking for his brother. When he couldn't see Sesshōmaru, he turned to Light and stepped closer.

"Listen, Yagami." His voice was lowered. "There are not many possibilities. You can stay away from Sesshōmaru from now on, and his scent will disappear in a few months."

"Several months", Light whispered. "I don't have that long."

"You can sleep with another daiyōkai," Inuyasha broke off when he felt Light's disapproving look on him. "Okay, I get it. Keh, let me think. A miko could cleanse your body from Sesshōmaru's scent. If only Kagome was here."

"What else?" Light ignored Inuyasha's sudden melancholy. He knew the young miko named Kagome had been missing for over two years. He also knew what she meant to the half-demon.

"Miroku! Of course! Miroku can help you. You're lucky Sesshōmaru didn't mark you as his mate."

Inuyasha indicated Light to follow him. He walked up a hill that led to Miroku's and Sango's hut, where they lived with their three children. 

"Be careful, Yagami. It's very strange that Sesshōmaru is getting intimate with a ningen. You must have something about you that impresses him. Perhaps it's only your mind, but be warned, because if he ever marks you as his mate, you will have his scent on you for eternity and that cannot be fixed. Then you truly belong to him."

"This will never happen."

Inuyasha glanced at the human, but didn't bother to point out that Sesshōmaru had gotten everything he wanted so far. Well, almost everything. Tessaiga had always been denied him.

* * *

Freed from Sesshōmaru's scent, Light headed for the edge of the forest. Ah-Uhn lay in the sun and slept. The Lord of the West leaned against a tree with his eyes closed, he opened them when Light approached him. All of a sudden, Sesshōmaru stood in front of Light growling at him. Light stumbled back in surprise, but immediately got his composure back.

"What have you done!" snarled Sesshōmaru. He gripped Light's chin and pulled Light's head up, forcing Light to look into his the angry eyes. The otherwise golden pupils shimmered slightly reddish.

Light returned his gaze defiantly. "How can I have a chance to win against you Sesshōmaru-sama if you can just follow your own scent?

Sesshōmaru looked at Light for a moment, then he let him go. "My scent on you, Yagami, is a warning to all yōkais to stay away from you. Now that you've had the boldness to remove it, you will not return to the castle alone. You will travel with me."

"No." Light put distance between him and Sesshōmaru. "No, I will not. You have accepted my challenge. You cannot go back on your word, yōkai!"

Too fast for Light's eyes, Sesshōmaru was directly in front of him. Light felt a hand on his back and the next moment he was lying on the ground and Sesshōmaru was above him. 

Light got angry. This race had to take place. He had no time to worry about Sesshōmaru’s arrogance. "Let me up," he croaked. Light wanted to escape from this humiliating position. He hated it when Sesshōmaru forced him to submit to him. His power might be attractive for Light, but at the moment it was rather suffocating.

Sesshōmaru enjoyed his position, but then he bent down to Light's ear and whispered, "Run Yagami, run as fast as your ningen feet carry you, for I will come to capture you. You will be mine."

Sesshōmaru released him and Light did not hesitate. He picked himself up and ran into the forest. He didn't care why the daiyōkai had suddenly changed his mind. The race had begun and that alone counted.

No sooner had Light disappeared between the trees than a figure peeled itself out of the shadows and knelt down behind Sesshōmaru. It was a demon with short red hair, a young looking face and pointed ears. His clothing was in shades of black and red. At his hip he carried a long, thin sword. Sesshōmaru did not turn to him.

"You know what to do?"

"Hai," replied the demon behind him and then he was gone. 

Sesshōmaru sat down on a stone and waited. He wanted to give Light a half day's head start. His demonic side was moving impatiently within him. It didn't want to wait, but go hunting right away. He could not blame his demon. The prey that awaited him was extremely tasty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The race to Sesshoumaru's castle finally starts and the first OC from the inuclan shows up, following Light in secret! At the beginning the story's pacing will be fast, but eventually it'll slow down. Also, this story is a slow burn, despite Sesshoumaru and Light already being close and sleeping with each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh, these old chapters are not easy to translate, they got grammar mistakes, this means I have to fix it in German first before I can translate it and the plot is terrible rushed. In the German version of this story this is chapter two, the plot slows down in chapter three. Originally the story was written with only two chapters in mind, now the story has sixteen chapters.

Light had already thought of a plan on how he could lead Sesshōmaru astray. He had been working on it for weeks. With the help of maps he had studied the area he would be staying in. He had read about the different abilities of demons, especially that of Inuyōkais. It had been an unpleasant surprise when Inuyasha had told him the smell of a Daiyoukai could not be washed off his body with water. It was an important information he had overlooked which still irritated him greatly. At least the monk was able to help him, and now that Sesshōmaru's scent was gone, he had a chance to win.

Light rushed through the undergrowth. He took the direct path to the castle. For the moment, Sesshōmaru could still follow his scent. As long as he didn't cover it with another, it would be better to let Sesshōmaru believe he was taking the shortest way. Eventually Light broke through the undergrowth and saw a village in front of him surrounded by small hills and meadows. He hurried down the slope and looked out for a man who fit Light's purpose. Under his Haori Light kept a bag of coins hidden, and with the money he bought clothes from one of the villagers. It disgusted him to put the clothes on, but the smell was strong enough to cover his own. The man was surprised when someone like Light, whose clothes were much more noble than his, offered him money for his tattered clothes. He looked at Light suspiciously, but when he saw the amount of money Light was putting under his nose, he didn't hesitate for long and almost tore his clothes from his body. Light grabbed the bundle of clothes under his arm and hastened on to a river not far away from the village. He washed in the shallow water and then he put on the simple Haori and the earth-stained Hakama of the farmer. He did not manage to keep an indifferent expression. The corners of his mouth moved down in utter repulsion.

Light returned to the village. He gave away his old clothes to the first person he met, then he marched south. In doing so, he moved away from the castle. Though Sesshōmaru could no longer follow his scent, the danger was still too great for Light to continue on the direct path. He would have to make a long detour. The route he was about to take appeared in his mind's eye. Light had planned to walk in the opposite direction to the castle for one day. On the second day, he would take the path towards the sea. There was a fishing village, where he would pay one of the fishermen to take him by boat north. When he was back on land, he would still be half a day away from the castle.

Light had planned four and a half days for the whole trip. One day walking to the south, two days towards the sea, then one day by boat to the north and finally half a day to Sesshōmaru’s castle. During his trip, he had to change his clothes five times. His own smell would eventually mix with the smell of the owners clothes. When that happened, Light would leave a shining path that Sesshōmaru could follow without any trouble. Light knew, if he could not mislead Sesshōmaru's nose, it would only be a matter of time before the Daiyoukai would have tracked him down.

Light gazed at the sun. He wanted to reach the village where he would spend the night before it was dark. He had quickly discarded the idea of sleeping outside or walking through the night. With some demons being nocturnal, it was too dangerous to be outside the protection of a village during night time.

When the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the mountains, Light was in a small room inside a hut eating dinner. He had reached the village and asked for a place to sleep and food and found accomodation with a craftsman family. Soon Light retired and lay down on a futon. His sword, which he had stolen from a dead samurai he had stumbled upon shortly after his arrival in this world, was next to him for him to grasp if needed, but the night passed quietly. Light got up before sunrise and took the way to the sea. He made good progress, and there was no sign of Sesshōmaru. Light followed an uneven path that led him along terraces of rice fields. Like the day before, he changed his clothes in a village. He didn't give the old one away this time, but threw them into the next river. It wouldn't be good if Sesshōmaru made it this far after all and noticed his smell on another person. It would only give him the confirmation that Light had come trough this small village. 

Light met few travelers when he was on the road towards the sea. Around noon, a small group of monks approached. Light bowed to them, waited until they had passed him and then went his way as well.

The first assault occurred at dusk. It didn't come as a surprise, Light knew by travelling alone he was seen as an easy prey. Nevertheless, he was annoyed, because if it hadn't taken him so long to cross the river whose bridge had collapsed, he would have reached the next village before sunset.

Five rōnins surrounded him. They had drawn their swords. Currently many masterless samurais were roaming the country. Their master must have died in one of the battles, Light thought. With their master dead, these five samurais lost their honor. Tradition demanded they committed seppuku, thus they carried a short knife at their hip to slit their belly. By killing themselves they would regain their honor. But some samurais tried to escape suicide, they rather joined together in groups and became outlaws; these honorless samurais were called rōnin. 

"Are you going to kill and rob a brother?" asked Light.

"What do you mean?" hissed one of the rōnin. His armor was smeared with dirt. He had a dent in his helmet, where an enemy sword had probably hit him in the heat of the battle. Above the dent was engraved the crest of Uesugi Kenshin, and it was exactly this crest that gave Light an idea.

"My master was the daimyō, Uesugi Kenshin," he said in a firm voice. "I fought at his side against the troops of Oda Nobunaga. I saw with my own eyes how an arrow pierced Uesugi-sama's neck and made him fall from his horse. That unfortunate day was not only the day my lord died, but also the day I became a rōnin like you."

"Pah!", roared one of the men. "Why should we believe you? You may as well be one of Oda's men."

Light was not intimidated. He continued in a calm voice. "If my master was really Oda Nobunaga, would I be here? All I have left is my sword. There's nothing left of my samurai honor."

"If you're telling the truth, I want to know how long you served under Uesugi-sama," it came from the right.

Light turned toward the rōnin. He was the smallest of them. He wore no armor, but a worn and dirty Haori and Hakama. He watched Light carefully. His mouth was pressed to a thin line.

"I served him since the first battle against Oda Nobunaga, which was fought in spring near Kyōto."

Some of the men nodded. Apparently they had fought in the same battle. Idiots, Light thought. With his knowledge of history, he actually managed to convince them that they had fought for the same daimyō.

"Come," said the rōnin suddenly, who hadn't believed him a moment ago. He put his sword back. The others followed. "We have our camp not far from here. Spend the night with us."

Light did not show how he disliked the suggestion. But if he refused, their mood could quickly turn dangerous again. He nodded, then forced himself to act pleased. "I hope you have food there."

They had plenty of food. It looked as if they had raided some farmers in the last few days. While they were eating, they drank sake. In order not to attract attention, Light also drank from the rice wine. However, he only took small sips. Light waited until the five rounin were heavily drunk and were laying down to sleep. Light made himself comfortable a bit away from the fire. As soon as the rōnin were all asleep, he would flee into the forest.

With his eyes closed, he listened until he heard the snoring and even breathing of all five samurais. Only then did he stand up. Good, he thought, the alcohol had put them into a deep sleep. If a demon would come now, he could eat them easily. He doubted they could defend themselves in their current state. Light got up and slipped away into the forest. After he had put a certain distance between himself and the rōnin, he laughed softly. That had been really easy.

Light's good mood didn't last long. Soon he realized he was lost. He had planned to find the road again and to follow it to the next village, but he was aware he should have found the road a long time ago. This meant he was walking in the wrong direction. Light cursed his situation. He could hardly see anything in the dark while he stumbled through the forest. After half an hour walking in total darkness, Light heard the sound of water getting louder and soon he arrived at a river. Here, at least because of the the moon, he could see things dimly. He followed the river, that would lead him towards the sea and probably to a village.

Light had drawn his sword as a precaution. He didn't like the fact that he was almost blind. He listened intently for treacherous noises. What he heard were harmless animals, nothing that would indicate a demon. The sound of the water became quieter as the river ended in a forest lake. When Light walked around the lake, he suddenly heard giggling behind him.

Instantly he whirled around and took up a typical kendo defense position.

"He is beautiful," said a girl's voice dreamily.

"What does it matter," whined a second voice, which sounded like a boy. "I am hungry. Let's kill him and then take him to the lair. Father will be proud of us."

The two demon children, who looked no older than seven, approached Light with a concentrated expression on their faces.

"You attack him from the right and I from the left," said the demon girl.

The boy nodded and stepped to the right.

"Wait!", shouted Light. He was aware that demon children were not much different from their human counterparts and these two weren't smart either as they just shared loudly what they wanted to do to him.

"Would you like to play a game with me?," he said, while hastily coming up with a plan to safe himself.

The two demon children stopped and looked at him indecisively and somewhat confused. Apparently it was the first time that a human, who normally was on their menu, showed no fear and even wanted to play with them. The girl's head swayed to the side. Faintly, the moonlight hit her skin and was reflected by white scales. Light noticed only now that the two demon children resembled a fish.

Light put on a sad face and let out a loud stretched sigh. "And I thought children like games. You're not a spoilsport, are you?" He had to get out of here! With every second, his chances of survival diminished. If the two demon children had their home in the lake, it only meant there were more of them. He could handle these two, but if adults came out of the lake, he would have a big problem.

"I’m not a spoilsport," the boy moaned indignantly, putting his hands on his hips.

Very good! Got you, thought Light, yet his face showed nothing of his actual thoughts.

"And you?" Light turned to the girl. "Are you a spoilsport? If so, then you're the only one among us."

Instead of answering, she shook her head, but that was enough for Light. He had them both exactly where he wanted them. "Well, then I can explain the rules of the game now. We'll play hide and seek."

Her eyes were widened in excitement. Very good, Light thought pleased.

"You two will hide in the forest and I will come looking for you. I will count to one hundred. In the meantime, you have plenty of time to find a good hiding place. One ...", Light started and the boy wanted to run but the girl held him back.

"How will you find us? You are a ningen. You will never be able to find us."

Light raised an eyebrow and put on an amused smile. "Are you so sure? After all, I found my way to this lake without any problem. Don't judge me hastily," he reprimanded her on purpose to give her the feeling she was in the wrong. It was very important that he stayed in control.

"Come on. Let's go, he'll find us!" The boy tugged impatiently at her clothes.

"Okay," she finally said. It was obvious that she didn't want to be the spoilsport. They both disappeared into the forest.

Light waited until he couldn't hear them anymore, before he ran along the shore of the lake as fast as he could. Panting, he reached the other end of the lake, but even here, he didn't slow down and he sprinted through the forest following the river once more. 

Light wondered when they would realize he had never intended to search for them, besides he would have never found them in the darkness anyway. Light hurried on. Although the danger of the two demon children was over, he wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and the lake. He couldn't suppress a laugh when he finally found his way out of the forest, stumbling upon the village he had wanted to reach from the beginning.

The man whose wooden hut Light had knocked on looked at him extremely suspiciously. Light could not blame him. It was the middle of the night and a stranger stood at his threshold, asking for shelter. The man grumbled at him and wanted to chase him away, but Light gave him a considerable sum of money. The man then invited him in, gave him food and water, drove his children out of a bedroom adjacent to the main room so that their guest could settle down there. Light did just that and soon dozed off from the exertions of the night.

A throaty scream startled Light during his sleep. Instantly he looked around in the room, but he couldn't see much, only the silhouette of a person being on top of another, the person underneath made gurgling noises. Light threw the blanket aside and stepped towards the two people with his sword drawn, ready to defend himself. "What's going on here?" he demanded to know.

The door to the left was pushed open and a woman, surrounded by her children, stood frozen in place. She dropped the burning log she was holding in her hand with a scream. But the short light was enough for Light to see what was going on. The man who owned the house was leaning against the wall, slumped down. In his stomach stuck a sword. His attacker pulled the sword back and kicked the dead man in the head. The lifeless body tilted to the side.

"Pig!", the attacker gowled angrily at the dead man, then he turned to Light. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Light doing his best to win while encountering many dangers. I always believe this time period with demons to be highly dangerous for any human. Travelling single probably comes close to a death wish, except if the person is a miko or a monk.


	5. Chapter 5

"Yōsuke-san," said Light in surprise, who hadn't expected the commander of the castle guard to be here. Then Light frowned and he fixed Yōsuke with angry eyes. "I see, Sesshōmaru-sama has sent you to watch over me."

"Do you have a problem with that, Yagami-san? You should show more gratitude. After all, I just prevented the master of the house from stabbing you in the chest while you were sleeping."

The fire from the log had jumped to the wooden doorframe and to the strawmats, engulfing the only way out of this room in huge flames. The woman and her children had disappeared, perhaps they were looking for help.

"We have to get out of here," said Light and he immediately started to work on the wooden wall with his sword. There was a window, but it was too small for him and the only way out was burning brightly.

A hand rested on Light's sword arm and stopped him. "Put your sword back."

If the air hadn't filled with smoke and the heat hadn't become unbearable, Light might have ignored the order. But so he put the sword back into its sheath.

"Yōsuke-san. What's the meaning of this?" he hissed furiously as an arm wrapped around Light’s stomach and he was pressed tightly against the commander of the castle guard. Fortunately, Sesshōmaru was not present. The Daiyōkai wouldn’t have liked his commander to be so close to Light. Light gasped as the demon pushed himself off the ground and broke through the roof with Light in his arms. But that was not enough. As soon as they were safe outside the burning house, Light was picked up by Yōsuke as if he were a fucking bride, and instantly Light punched Yōsuke’s face for his impudence.

Yōsuke stared at Light angrily, who returned his gaze with equal sharpness.

"Put me down, now!" Light wanted to free himself.

"I can't do that yet," and with that Yōsuke ran out of the village. After they had covered a good distance, he stopped and put Light down. Immediately, a foot swung in his direction. Yōsuke dodged the attack easily.

"Calm down, Yagami-san."

But Light was angry because Yōsuke's appearance ruined his whole plan. "How can I calm down when all my efforts to conceal myself from Sesshōmaru-sama were ruined by your appearance. He doesn't have to track my scent. Why should he, when he can follow you!" Light struck at Yōsuke again. He was seething with rage. That idiot destroyed everything, and as for Sesshōmaru, did it mean that the honorable Daiyōkai of the West was playing dirty?

Yōsuke caught Light's next fist coming his way as well. He enclosed it with his hand and leaned forward. "I told you to calm down," he growled at Light. "I have suppressed my Yōki and my scent since following you. Sesshōmaru-sama has honor. He would never defile it, not even at the thought of losing you." Yōsuke pushed back Light's fist, making Light stumble backwards. "Come, Yagami-san, I will accompany you until dawn, then you will be on your own again. Though I must admit you have managed it quite well so far."

The two walked silently side by side. From the moon's position, it would still take about three hours until the first rays of sunlight illuminated the land. Light tried to keep up with Yōsuke's pace, but soon his exhausted body didn't want to walk anymore. How long had he been sleeping in that house before the man wanted to kill him for his money and most likely for the sword. A katana was very expensive. Once sold, it would bring in a handsome sum.

The next village was more than half a day away, therefore it had been Light's intention to travel there rested. But in his current condition he could forget that. He had to sleep. "Yōsuke-san." The demon turned his head towards Light. "I need a place to rest."

Yōsuke shrugged and walked on. "I’m not your servant. Here." He pointed to their surroundings. "Pick a spot. There are plenty of places to rest."

Light walked to the edge of the path and looked down at the rice field terraces. Where on earth would he find a place to sleep?

"Down there is a small hut, probably for tools, should be good enough for you to sleep in it."

Light was surprised that Yōsuke decided to help him. He squinted in the direction the demon was pointing, but couldn't see the hut. "Arigatō," said Light as he followed Yōsuke, who had noticed his dilemma. Only when they were less than fifteen meters away from the hut Light could see the outline faintly. Yōsuke tore the lock off the door and entered first. He had been right. The hut was full of tools that were used to work the rice fields. But even though they were everywhere, there was still enough room for two people. Light lay down on the floor. Yōsuke leaned with his back against the wall.

"There's something that keeps me thinking," Yōsuke said after a while of silence. Whatever it was, he was uncomfortable talking about it. Light could hear it in his voice.

"What is it?" grumbled Light. He didn't want to talk to Yōsuke, he wanted to sleep, but the demon had found him a reasonably comfortable sleeping place. Light sighed and waited for the demon to keep talking.

"I don't understand why you want to return to your time so badly. Is your life there so much better?"

"My family is there, Yōsuke-san. I haven't seen them for over a year. If I stay here, I will never see them again." The lie slipped easily from Light's lips. Light's family was important to him to a certain extent, but that was by no means the reason why he wanted to go back to his time. Kira still held Light in its clutches. The thought of an utopia where no criminal existed was still there. Light had understood he was no god, but that didn't change his principles. Evil had to be eradicated.

What he hadn't found an answer to yet were the demons. If this wasn't a parallel world, but the normal past, then there had to be demons in Light's own time. But if that was really the case, where were they? And what was Kira's opinion about their potencial existence in modern time? Should he consider them a threat to mankind? Many of the lower demons ate humans by nature. Were they evil because they were created that way? Light had a conversation with Sesshōmaru about this topic once. From him he knew there were demons who could indeed feed on animals, but preferred human, and then there were those whose digestive organs could digest nothing but human flesh. If the whole picture was transferred to the animal kingdom, then it was nothing other than that an animal naturally caught and ate a certain prey.

"Are you not aware of your status? You have earned the respect of the whole castle. You belong in the west, not in your time. You can have a great, successful future at the side of Sesshōmaru-sama. Can your family offer you the same?"

Light turned to Yōsuke, a sarcastic smile fluttered on his lips. "Indeed, they can." It was a lie, only Kira could give Light what he yearned for.

"Can they offer you Sesshōmaru-sama?" At once, Light was in a sitting position. The tiredness was gone and he stared sinisterly at the demon.

"Careful, Yōsuke-san. What relationship I have with Sesshōmaru-sama is none of your business."

Yōsuke laughed deeply. Light lay down again and turned his back to him.

"You are the most intelligent ningen I have ever met, even among the yōkais, there is hardly anyone who is as smart as you, but though you have been living in the castle for almost a year, you still don't seem to understand our customs. It is very important for the clan. Don't you understand what it means to us if you spend the night in the chambers of our Alpha?"

Light listened but didn't move, Yōsuke continued. "It means you are family. You are part of the inuclan, Yagami-san."

Light hummed. He put his arms under his head to make himself more comfortable. "Be quiet!" With that, Light forced himself into a sleep. Yōsuke had disappeared when he woke up, but Ryuk was hovering over him.

"Hyuk, hyuk! Light, finally awake as I see. Yōsuke told me about the cat and mouse game you are playing with the Daiyōkai. Why didn't you say anything?"

Ryuk kept talking, but Light ignored the boring talk of the Shinigami. Basically, it was either about apples and where to find the tastiest ones or about any talks Ryuk had had with any demons about any topic. Light wasn't interested in the former or the latter.

"How did you find me," Light asked after he had left the small hut and was back on the road to the sea. 

Ryuk made his typical hyuk, hyuk, which sounded nervous to Light.

"Coincidence, Light," he finally said. "I kept flying around until this Yōsuke found me. He told me where you were."

Sceptically, he looked at Ryuk from the side: "Then why do you seem nervous, Ryuk?"

Ryuk made a confused face. "Eh? Do I seem so to you. I think you just..."

"Spit it out, Ryuk! How did you really find me!"

Ryuk laughed all of a sudden and a fat grin spread across his face. His sharp teeth sparkled diabolically at Light "Light," he sang happily. "Did you know that you had lost even before you made the bet with the Daiyōkai. It was the yōkai who told me where to find you."

Light's eyes got big. So Sesshōmaru knew where he was. "Where is he now? Tell me!" 

Ryuk laughed again. "I don't know, Light. But he knows exactly where you are. He's playing with you. Hyuk, hyuk."

With a fast beating heart Light looked around, but of course, he couldn't see Sesshōmaru or Yōsuke. "What about Yōsuke, how do you know he follows me too?"

"Eh? I already told you that. I don't think the stress is good for you."

"Shut up!", interrupted Light Ryuk. With his head supported between both hands, Light began to think. Had his precautions been useless or was it Yōsuke's fault? Could it be that Ryuk was lying? No, if he would lie, it would only be half the fun for the Shinigami. Ryuk was telling the truth. Then why hadn't Sesshōmaru shown himself yet? Was the demon really playing with him?

"Let's keep going," said Light to Ryuk, because as long as Sesshōmaru didn't show himself, he might still have a chance. And Sesshōmaru didn't show himself all day long, not even when Light sailed north with the fishing boat as planned. Light changed his clothes once a day as before. He kept looking for Sesshōmaru, but the Daiyōkai kept himself hidden. However, Yōsuke was sitting with him in the fishing boat.

Light looked at the sea for a moment, then turned to Yōsuke and pierced the demon with a steely gaze. "Sesshōmaru-sama knows where I am. It was him who told Ryuk where to find me. Do you know anything about this Yōsuke-san? Do you know if Sesshōmaru-sama is following us?"

Yōsuke crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back against a box from which a penetrating fish smell blew over to Light. "I haven’t noticed him yet, but it's possible."

Light frowned. He was sure Yōsuke withheld information from him and that the demon knew more than he revealed.

The man who steered the boat stopped at the fishing village where Light had been with Sesshōmaru once before. It was already dark when the man fastened his boat to the pier. Light handed him the agreed amount of money, then he walked ashore over the small wooden pier. He did not spend the night in the village as he had first planned, but crossed it and followed a narrow forest path that would take him to the Castle of the West. He had assigned Ryuk to search for Sesshōmaru. He didn't know if the Shinigami had a chance to find the Daiyōkai. Even if he didn't find him - as Light believed he wouldn't - it was still better than having to endure the incessant chatter of the Shinigami.

Yōsuke followed Light. They must have been on the road for several hours already, when Yōsuke forced Light to stop by grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him close to him. "Something is not right," he said and drew his sword. He smelled the air while his eyes tried to detect something in the dense undergrowth around them.

Light drew his own sword and listened for sounds. "We are not far from the castle. No yōkai would dare to attack so close to the castle!"

"Stand behind me, Yagami-san, and yes, you are right, no yōkai, but a miko."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just couln't imagine Sesshōmaru allowing Light to truly travel alone. Come on Light, most demons could kill you easily and even the humans from that time period can be dangerous!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, I translated the next chapter! This one is the longest so far, I didn't want to to cut it into two chapters. I'm very happy to see people do like my story and the story is gaining slowly but steadily more subscribers.

The miko stepped out between the trees. She held a large fan in her hand. Over her back hung a bow and a quiver filled with arrows. She wore the traditional clothing of a miko, in the colors red and white. She had her long black hair tied back with a white ribbon.

"Step aside human. You are standing dangerously close to the yōkai."

"That may be because we travel together," Light replied condescendingly. He gave the miko a dismissive look.

"If you are friends with a yōkai, you are lost to me." With that, she opened the fan and made a quick diagonal movement. A pink blade appeared and moved rapidly towards Light and Yōsuke. Yōsuke grabbed Light and jumped with him to safety. The blade whizzed along the path and cut the tree they had just been standing in front of. With a lot of noise the top half of the tree slipped off and crashed onto the path.

"Leave, go Yagami-san! I will come and find you as soon as I’ve taken care of the miko."

Light nodded, then turned around and disappeared into the undergrowth. An arrow emitting spiritual energies was shot after him. Yōsuke rushed forward and cut the arrow with his sword. There was a threatening crackling noise as yōki and spiritual energies collided. But Light didn't notice, he was already to far away. With a beating heart and rattling breath he knocked branches and bushes aside to put as much distance as possible between him and the fight. According to his calculations, the castle should not be far away. Perhaps another hour. Light didn't stop to take a break he moved on. Sesshōmaru still hadn't shown himself. Was it possible that Ryuk had lied after all? With every meter Light covered, his chances of victory increased.

And just as Light thought he would be able to reach the castle before Sesshōmaru, when his body was filled with new energy and his legs were running faster than ever, the ground suddenly broke away from under his feet and he fell down the slope with a loud scream. Light fell on leaves and moss and small branches, overturned several times, not knowing where up and down was, until a huge tree stopped his rolling body, as he crashed against it.

Light lay there dazed, while smaller stones and earth were rolling against him. He groaned, and when his mind began to work again, he wanted to get up immediately. Knowing he was so close to the castle, he couldn't let his fall thwart his plan. He lifted himself up, only to abandon this idea immediately, he had to lay back on the forest floor when great dizziness threatened to explode his head. His head was painfully throbbing, prickling and hurting as if a nail was being driven into his skull. Light touched his forehead and when he pulled back his fingers they were covered in his blood.

"Yōsuke," muttered Light the name of the commander of the castle guard, hoping the demon would find him soon.

It took him a long time, but he managed to sit up very slowly, now leaning against the tree, breathing heavyly. If he moved to fast black dots danced before his eyes. Yōsuke still hadn't appeared, and Light thought he heard fighting noises in the distance... And then he heard another sound very close: a rustling, a scrunching. Light tried to make out what was moving towards him, but in vain, in the darkness he couldn’t see much. His eyes were pretty useless, yet his hearing told him that something big and heavy was approaching him.

After hearing a loud threatening growl, Light pulled his katana.

Either he was in the territory of a predator, or Light's smell of blood must have led the predator to him.

Suddenly a big bear appeared as a black silhouette in front of Light and he raised his sword to defend himself. A second smaller bear came out of the undergrowth and hid behind the larger one. Mother and cub, Light noticed. Both had their snout pointing upwards, drawing in the air around Light. The female bear made a cautious step towards Light. Light clasped the handle of his katana tighter, ready to plunge the sword into the adult bear. 

The bear wanted to intimidate him and it stood on its hind legs roaring at Light. Light saw its long, sharp fangs that could easily rip him to pieces. It was obvious to Light that the bear saw him as a threat to its cub and would attack him. Light considered how he could kill the bear before its sharp paws and teeth bored into his flesh.

And then the bear attacked, its mouth wide open. Light immediately pulled back his sword arm and waited to ram the point of the sword into the bear with force. He knew he got only one attempt to save his life.

The bear almost reached him, but not yet close enough for a counterattack ... he had to wait a tiny bit more. Out of nowhere something tall landed before Light, shielding him from the bear attack. 

"Sesshōmaru!" yelled Light in surprise when he recognized the Daiyōkai's body, totally forgetting to address Sesshōmaru with the polite suffix _-sama_.

Sesshōmaru's light whip snapped through the air as a warning. The female bear stopped its attack, but kept roaring and growling at Sesshōmaru. It scrutinized Sesshōmaru for another moment, before turning around and trotting away. The cub followed its mother into the bushes. The relief Light had felt at Sesshōmarus appearance didn't last long. Sesshōmaru had found him, which meant that Light had lost the bet. He froze.

"Can you stand?"

Light did not respond. He had lost. He had fucking lost!

"Light! Can you stand up?" repeated Sesshōmaru again, this time much more impatient.

"No," Light finally croaked in a rough voice. Kira. His utopia. He had lost! He had lost everything! A wave of new dizziness was rising in Light, although he wasn't sure if it was from his head injury or from the idea that he now belonged to Sesshōmaru forever. He turned to the side and emptied his stomach content onto the forest floor. While he gasped and waited for the nauseous feeling to subside, a hand gently touched his head and brushed the hair out of his face.

"A healer will look at your head once we're at the castle."

Was Light's vomit irritating Sesshōmarus keen nose, the Daiyōkai wasn't showing it. He pulled Light up and held him, with his arm wrapped around Light's body, Sesshōmaru tightly pressed Light against himself. Light's head lay exhausted on Sesshōmaru's shoulder. Light closed his eyes and tried to get his dizziness under control. Sesshōmaru pushed himself off the ground and flew with Light in his arms in the direction of his castle.

Light was silent during the flight. He had questions, but he didn’t feel like asking them right now. At the moment he was too upset. He first had to get his emotions under control. He was not sure how to deal with the new situation. He had lost. Light Yagami had lost. Light groaned. He had never lost in his whole life.

Arriving at the castle, Sesshōmaru brought Light to his chambers. He sent for a healer to examine the head injury. The wound was cleaned and bandaged and soon they were alone. "Sleep", was all Sesshōmaru said before he left the room. Light closed his eyes and actually fell asleep immediately. He spent the next few days in bed. He slept most of the time and only woke up when he was brought something to eat or a healer changed his bandage. Light's defeat gave him a hard time. His brilliant mind seemed to have been damaged by the head injury, because no matter how he turned it, no matter what he thought about, he couldn't find a way to avoid having to serve Sesshōmaru until his death.

By the fourth day the dizziness was gone and Light felt better. Light opened his eyes when he heard the sound of little feet clumsily approaching him. Something jumped on the futon and Light turned around to see who it was.

"Yashimaru."

Sesshōmaru's son walked over pillows, blankets and furs to reach Light. Light pulled back one of the blankets with a sigh. Immediately the boy lay down next to him, snuggled up to him and made himself comfortable. Light covered them both again and wrapped an arm around him. Yashimaru was smitten with him lately. When he saw Light, he wanted to stay with him. He wanted Light to play with him and he liked to use Light as his pillow. Light fell asleep again, only to wake up when he felt a hand ran through his hair, playing with a single strand. Yashimaru moved his head and saw Sesshōmaru beside him. Immediately he freed himself from under the blanket and from Light's grip to climb onto his father's back.

"Ōto-san", Yashimaru squeaked happily while sitting on Sesshōmaru's shoulders and bending forward to see Light better.

"Yashimaru," said Sesshōmaru in a warning tone and pushed him back, when he was about to fall forward.

"Light."

"Sesshōmaru-sama", Light replied challenging.

Sesshōmarus lips broke into a barely noticeable smile. "You have lost."

Light snorted. "And you knew I would not win from the beginning."

"I gave you the opportunity to prove yourself," said Sesshōmaru, and Light's eyes darkened.

"How did you find me?" Light asked.

"Your scent led me to you. Your charade was entertaining."

Light swallowed an angry snort. "And what about Yōsuke-san? Did you send him to make sure I would make it to the castle? You could have stopped it right away, but instead, you played with me."

Sesshōmaru looked at Light for a moment. "You've proven that you possess great intelligence for a ningen and yet you are not satisfied. I am pleased with your achievement." 

Light angrily expelled the air through his nose. "What about Yōsuke-san?" Once more he led the conversation to the commander of the castle guard. "On our way to the castle, we were attacked by a miko."

"The commander of the castle guard is well. You can go and see him later. He is in his usual place."

Yashimaru slipped from Sesshōmaru's shoulder. "Light, play with me." He sat down on the futon next to Light, grabbing Light's arm, clinging to it and trying to get Light to play with him. Light wasn't in the mood for silly child games, but Yashimaru didn't seem to notice.

Light had got the impression that Yashimaru loved to harass him. Not so long ago Yashimaru had climbed a tree and hid himself between branches. What would have been impossible with any demon, worked perfectly fine with Light, because he couldn't sense Yashimaru's yōki. So it had been easy for the prince to scare Light to death by letting himself fall right in front of Light when he passed the tree. Light had yelled in surprise which alarmed the castle guards. After they arrived they had chuckled when seeing Yashimaru standing joyfully before Light.

"Yashimaru," came it strictly from Sesshōmaru. "Come."

Yashimaru went to his father, who picked him up and Sesshōmaru left the room with him. After a while Sesshōmaru came back without Yashimaru.

"Your son is full of mischief," said Light.

"Hn. There is much to learn for Yashimaru." Sesshōmaru grabbed Light's chin. "Don't forget, you smell of me, it's normal my pup wants to be close to you."

"What about his mother?", he asked. "Yashimaru spends more time with me than with her. Shouldn't she smell of you too?"

Sesshōmaru came closer, touching Light's cheek with his own, while breathing in Light's scent. "How can she have my scent on her if I only laid with her once."

Sesshōmaru's hand was on Light's shoulder and next Light was pressed down onto the futon. He frowned as Sesshōmaru bent down, making a surprised sound as Sesshōmarus lips were suddenly pressed against his, kissing him eagerly. To his own surprised he sighed and returned the kiss. He should push Sesshōmaru off of him, Light thought, he was still angry, but at the same time, he was exhausted by all the thoughts that had been running through his head during the last days. He wanted a break. There was plenty of time to deal with his dilemma later, Light decided.

Sesshōmaru nippled gently Light's lower lip, then his tongue travelled down to Light's throat. Sesshōmaru loosened the obi that held Light's kimono together and pulled Light's haori and his kimono from his shoulders. Light's fingers dug into blankets and furs as Sesshōmaru kissed his chest downwards to his navel. Light wrapped his arms around Sesshōmaru, pressing his body tightly against the Daiyōkai. Their mouths found each other again, and a pleasant gasp escaped Light.

"Hmm", came it from Light before he tore his lips away from Sesshōmaru's.

Sesshōmaru growled and took Light's clothes off completely. Soon Light lay naked underneath Sesshōmaru, and starting with Light's face, Sesshōmaru let his eyes slowly glide down Light's body.

Light reached for Sesshōmaru's armor, he opened the cords that held the armor together, and after he put aside Sesshōmaru's breastplate and his spikey shoulder armor, his hands moved over Sesshōmaru's chest to his obi; Light opened the loop and Sesshōmaru's kimono fell open. Light put his hands on Sesshōmaru's chest, on his smooth, pale skin, which reminded Light of porcelain. Light could feel the heart of the demon under his fingertips; it beat strongly and evenly. Then Sesshōmaru pulled Light into a tight embrace, and Light's skin began to tingle. Even though he was only human, he could faintly feel yōki licking across his naked skin.

Light kissed Sesshōmaru hungrily, pushing his tongue between Sesshōmaru's lips, but soon it was Sesshōmaru that conquered the inside of his mouth, leaving Light breathless.

Sesshōmaru's remaining clothes, his shoes and his hakama, landed carelessly next to the futon. A deep growl moved up Sesshōmaru's chest as he grabbed Light's hip and turned him around. His arm reached under Light's stomach and he pulled Light up. Light, who was now on all fours, could feel Sesshōmaru's hot breath between his shoulder blades. His hair stood up and he felt a comforting shiver ran down his body, making his cock twitch in anticipation.

"Hn!", groaned Light when he felt Sesshōmaru's finger entering him, and shortly afterwards he felt a second one: Sesshōmaru began to scissor him and a pleasant shiver ran down Light's body, again and again, when Sesshōmaru touched a very specific spot. Every time Sesshōmaru's fingers pressed against it, Light forgot everything around him, forgot where he was, what he wanted, it was like having a break from his own mind. He was groaning loudly and he didn't mind it.

And all of a sudden, abruptly and unexpectedly Sesshōmaru's fingers were gone and the exhilarating feeling faded away. Instantly, Light felt an emptiness within himself and he yearned to be filled again. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Sesshōmaru was slowly rubbing oil on his member.

"Don't let me wait for long!" Light barked at him and Sesshōmaru's eyes narrowed.

"There is no pleasure in your pain", growled Sesshōmaru back. "You will be patient."

Light sharply drew in the air as he felt Sesshōmaru's warm lips on his shoulder blade. The Daiyōkai kissed from Light's shoulder blade to his spine and ran his tongue along it, leaving a hot burning trail on Light's back.

"Ahh!", Light gasped when Sesshōmaru slowly and gently entered him. "Hn ...!" Sesshōmaru penetrated deeper, filling Light more and more.

Light's pulse raced, he could hear his blood rushing in his ears. After Sesshōmaru was fully seated inside Light, he gave the human a moment to let Light's body get used to him, only then did he move. Light escaped a lustful sigh. He pressed his forehead against the futon and enjoyed the deep thrusts that almost drove him out of his mind. Soon Sesshōmaru increased the pace, his thrusts became stronger and deeper.

Again Light was taken by this demon and again it felt good, he thought, while enjoying the sensations Sesshōmaru made Light feel. His brown hair fell into his face and took his sight. But even with shorter hair, he would have perceived his surroundings only blurred. Light lost himself in the hot fire of lust, which increased steadily and it was only a matter of time until it would devour him completely. As if from far away he heard Sesshōmaru growling, Light heard his own moaning and the slapping of their naked bodies against each other.

_Harder. Faster._

Suddenly Light felt Sesshōmaru's finger around his cock, stroking him.

"Ahhhh ...!" The tension in his body was becoming unbearable, Light thought. "Sesshōmaru-sama", he groaned the Daiyōkai's name, breathing heavily. His body was bathed in sweat. He needed release!

Sesshōmaru's face appeared next to Light and without warning him he sank his fangs into Light’s flesh, into the area between Light’s shoulder and his ear.

Light was totally unprepared: When he felt Sesshōmaru's teeth biting his throat, he screamed, not because the bite was painful, but it carried him completely over the threshold, letting him feel the most powerful orgasm he ever had experienced; almost at the same time Light heard Sesshōmaru growling deeply like a wild beast, a powerful growl of dominance. Sesshōmaru came inside of Light, he paused after two more thrusts, then he pulled out.

Light felt exhausted, tired and he was sure Sesshōmaru could hear his fast beating heart. He rolled onto his back, then looking up directly into Sesshōmaru's golden eyes. "W-why ... damn it, Sesshōmaru-sama ... why did you bite me? Next time warn me before you do it" he hissed at the Daiyōkai. Light shivered when Sesshōmaru's mouth was suddenly on the fresh wound, tasting Light's blood, licking over the wound as if Sesshōmaru was cleaning it! Sesshōmaru's behaviour was irritating Light, and he was about to push Sesshōmaru away, when Light heard Sesshōmaru saying "By accepting my terms, Yagami Light, you also accepted to be by my side."

 _'Your place is at my side'_ yes, that's what Sesshōmaru wanted from Light, for Light to serve Sesshōmaru and his clan for the rest of his human-.

"This Sesshōmaru has just taken you as his mate."

Light's mind turned blank, his brain stopped working, it felt like eternity though it lasted less than a second before he was able to yell "N-Nani! [W-What!]"

He jumped to his feet and looked down on Sesshōmaru and for the first time in his life Light was speechless.

 _He -_ _Kira was married to a demon!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention Light's pride has to suffer a lot in this story 😂 Now that Light is Sesshomaru's mate his postion in the clan's hierarchy has changed. Aww, Yashimaru's first appearance! There will be more chapters with Sesshomaru's son.


	7. Chapter 7

**3 months later**

  
Light woke up from a cold breeze that crawled under the blanket and left him shivering. He turned to the side and wrapped the blankets more tightly around himself while feeling with his hand next to him where he usually found a warm body that was missing today. Immediately Light was sitting upright in bed, the tiredness was gone. He knocked the blanket aside and stood up to get dressed quickly. Sesshōmaru had got up before him, which often happened. Light didn't know how long the Daiyōkai had been awake before him, but it was still dark outside.

Blackness lay on the castle and landscape, thick and dark, almost like ink. Even the rays of the sun dipping the mountain tops in a soft orange hue had no chance to reach the castle yet. Light dressed himself in a black hakama and in a grey haori. He quickly put on his white cotton socks and walked in his flat wooden sandals to the door. Several herons were painted on the door. They stood in the water, walked along the lake shore or sat in cherry trees that were in full bloom. Sakura, the cherry blossom, gave the painting a lovely touch. One could almost feel the warmth and calm of this place.

Outside, next to the door, the kappa demon, Jaken, slept loudly snoring. Jaken mostly avoided Light. The Kappa didn't like the fact that Sesshōmaru had chosen a human as his mate. For Light the kappa was highly annoying, a demon who suffered from manic deification. Jaken reminded him of his sister Sayu. She was a big fan of Hideki Ryuga. The last time he walked into her room, the actor jumped at him from everywhere, even Sayu's bedspread had Hideki Ryuga's face printed on it, smiling at him with brilliant white teeth. Light was sure that if there were fan merchandises in this time, Jaken would be an enthusiastic collector of Sesshōmaru. 

Light walked around Jaken, who was sleeping in the hallway, slightly bended forward. Between his three fingers he was holding his staff with the two heads - a woman's head and a man's head. Light knew the kappa had a deep sleep that wasn't disturbed easily, not even by a horde of passing elephants.

Light walked past him, without making an effort to be silent. He was on his way to the library, where he had no intention of reading at such an early hour, but which nevertheless held something important. On the way there, he met some servants who immediately stepped aside and bowed deeply. Something good came from his new status; he now possessed an undisputed respect throughout the castle. Save for two exceptions Light's orders were obeyed, and these two exceptions were Sesshōmaru and his general Keisuke.

However, there were disadvantages to being the mate of Sesshōmaru. He was now handled with kid gloves, especially the servants had become over-cautious with him. Many of them treated him as if he was a delicate, fragile vase that needed special attention, similar to how they were treating Yashimaru. But Light was no child, nor was he an insignificant person ... but in this time period he wasn't Kira either. 

_That's right, Light, who are you anymore? The mate of a Daiyōkai, his prisoner?_

Thinking about it made Light angry, he tore open the sliding door to the library and stepped into the room. 

Scrolls, loose sheets and maps piled up on shelves. The smell in the library tickled Light's nose. It wasn't unusual that he had to sneeze after entering the room, but today his nose calmed down. Light walked through the room and opened a window to let in fresh air. The smell of the tatami mats hung heavy in the room and mixed with the smell of ink, old rice paper and leather it was almost unbearable. He drew a deep breath of fresh morning air, before he stepped in front of a shelf where calligraphy brushes of different sizes were stored in wooden boxes. Light took a medium-thick brush from one of the lower boxes and turned it between his index finger and thumb. The brush was as long as his forearm and made of dark wood. The bristles were made of goat hair, they were soft and formed a perfect tip. Light was not interested in the quality of the brush. His attention was drawn to the hexagonal end of the brush, which had a notch that showed a smaller hexagon.

Light went to the tatami mats that were embedded in the floor and lifted up the smallest one. Underneath was a wooden floor. Light put the hexagonal end of the brush into the matching hole. He turned the brush and listened to the clicking sound of the mechanism. When he heard it, Light opened the secret door in the floor and descended the stairs into the tunnel. The secret passage passed under the castle and the nearby river and ended in the forest. As Light was under the river, the air became damp - water was dripping everywhere. The ground was wet and muddy. Soon his socks and sandals were dirty. 

Light wasn't worried that the tunnel might collapse while he was here. According to an old and poorly decipherable scroll the secret passage had existed since the beginning of the castle and that, Light knew, was more than 500 years old. If the secret passage had survived more than 500 years without serious damage, Light was sure, it would be able to last at least for another hundred years.

At the end of the secret passage Light found another wooden door, which he unlocked with the same brush. It creaked when he pushed the door open. Earth was trickling down on him and leaves got caught in his hair. Light climbed out of the secret passage, brushed the earth off his clothes and plucked the leaves from his hair. The first rays of sunlight hit the forest floor, which was covered with a thin layer of frost. Light let the brush disappear into his haori, then he made his way through the undergrowth to the meeting point, where he settled on a fallen tree trunk. Light was too early and so he used the time to ponder about his current situation.   
Sesshōmaru; everything revolved around the demon. Sesshōmaru, the Daiyōkai of the West. Sesshōmaru, who was feared by many demons. Sesshōmaru, who was more powerful than his father, if Light were to believe Jaken. Sesshōmaru, who had a human daughter and a full-blooded demon son. Sesshōmaru, who had chosen a human as his mate. Sesshōmaru had so many facets that it was impossible for Light to understand his thoughts and actions. 

Why had he chosen Light as his mate, a human, with a fraction of the lifespan of a demon? Why didn't he want to let him return to his time? Was it Light's intellect Sesshōmaru wanted to possess or was it something else, was it ... 

Light's lips burst into a mocking smile. Was it love? Sesshōmaru and love? No, it couldn't be.

He laughed softly. This thought could well have come from Sayu. She had always been simple minded. No, Sesshōmaru was using him. There could be no other explanation. Sesshōmaru was using Light's brilliant mind like Light used Sesshōmaru's strength. They were using each other. 

But in the next moment Light dismissed the idea, after all his intellect was available to Sesshōmaru for little over a year now. That wasn't the reason why the Daiyōkai had decided to brand him. Annoyed, Light tore a piece of bark off the tree trunk he was sitting on. There must be another reason for why Sesshōmaru had taken him as his mate. There had to be more to it and exactly "what" he had to find out. 

The boy's arrival was long overdue and when he finally arrived, he sneaked up quietly from behind, pulled Light briefly but firmly by his hair and laughed out loud. Light jumped up as if he was sitting on hot coals. "Idiot," he hissed. "Stop laughing! The guards, they've probably heard you already." Light listened to see if he heard any yells from the castle guards, but apart from the twittering of birds he heard nothing unusual.

"Don't get upset, Light. We are inside my protective barrier. No one can hear us."

At this very moment Light wondered how he could have been so stupid as to put his hope in this demon. "And what about the yōki of your barrier? The guards can't hear us, fine ... but everyone will notice your yōki." 

The Kitsune, named Kuro, pulled a face as if he had just been insulted. "Ungrateful, stupid ningen," he growled to himself. 

"What did you just say?" asked Light, who didn't understand the demon's muttering but knew he wasn't flattering him.

"I told you to stop doubting my abilities. My protective barrier doesn't emit yōki and you could be a bit more grateful, after all I'm doing all the hard work here and for a measly wage. It's not easy to approach the castle of the west so close without anyone noticing me. You are lucky that I'm able to do this at all, many yōkais wouldn't be ...". 

Light relaxed when he heard that the protective barrier posed no danger to his plans. "And that's why," Light said in a serious voice, "I chose you. Your shadow kitsune skills are exactly what I need."

The shadow kitsune sat down on the fallen tree trunk where Light had been sitting before, made himself comfortable and started playing with a wooden spintop. "You don't seem so smart after all, if you're panicking about my protective barrier."

If he tried to insult Light, his words failed miserably, Light was unimpressed. "What did you find out?" he asked, no longer wanting to waste his precious time.

The shadow kitsune caught the spintop out of the air and made it spin on his dark skin. "As ordered, I went to the south looking for the miko. I found her and yes, she was the most powerful in the south, but that was long ago, she's very old, can hardly see anymore and her spiritual powers have also become useless." He threw the spintop into the air again and it continued to rotate smoothly. "I tried to talk to her, but most of the time she didn't understand me and when she finally did she was talking gibberish. Not clear in her head anymore." 

"What about the miko in the north?" Light's jaw tensed up. There weren't many mikos left to which he could send the shadow kitsune, who were powerful enough to free him from his mating mark on his neck. Light did not believe Inuyasha. There had to be a way to get rid of it. There was a solution for all problems, sometimes it just took perseverance to find them. 

"Yeah ... the north, well there was a problem with the most powerful miko from the northern lands." And again the shadow kitsune threw the spintop in the air. This time it landed on the tip of his nose and kept spinning as if it had unlimited power. "It wasn’t difficult to find out her name and where she lives, but well, therein lies the problem, the miko of the north is also the mate of dragon yōkai Kazuya."

Light frustratedly bored his nails into the bark of the tree trunk he was leaning against. "This is indeed a big problem." 

"Well, maybe she will still help you. I've heard that she's extremely kind and caring."

"Even if she wanted to, she could not help me. She would never dare to provoke a war with the west."

The west, it didn't have a powerful miko at the moment. The miko, named Kagome, was missing since the defeat of the half-demon Naraku. She would have been the only one who could have helped him, the only one brave enough to defy Sesshōmaru. Light did not even have to mention the east. After sending the kitsune there, he had disappeared for weeks, missed two of their meetings, and showed up to the third with still visible wounds. The miko of the east had made no secret of her hatred for demons. Light remembered the miko three months ago when he and Yōsuke had traveled together. She had attacked him because he was friends with a demon. In the eyes of the miko of the east, Light would be a disgrace, a worthless human. 

"I will send you a message as soon as I have new information. Perhaps it doesn't have to be a miko." Light pulled out a bag, the coins inside jingling joyfully. He tossed the bag to the shadow kitsune, who caught it and let it disappear in his sleeve. 

"You might as well pay me more. After all, you are the mate of a Daiyōkai. You're rich."

"What nonsense are you talking about, I'm not the treasurer. Now go and don't get caught."

The kitsune got up from the tree trunk, putting his hands on his hips. "I told you, they can't sense me." A moment later his black hair changed color and shimmered like liquid gold, then a loud 'plop' followed and a cloud of smoke rose to the sky, which dissipated after a few meters. A leaf, from which two big round eyes looked at Light, soared upwards through the treetops and flew away with the wind. Light, who saw this kind of transformation for the first time, couldn't suppress a shiver. His eyebrows disappeared far behind his brown hair and only lowered when the shadow kitsune was long out of sight. From now on, he swore to himself, he would be even more aware of his surroundings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course, Light doesn't just accept that he's Sesshoumaru's mate! The relationship between Light and Sesshoumaru will be a slow burn, they are both way too strong-willed and stubborn. It will take time for both of them to realize they need to change if they want their relationship to work.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my long absence, I was working on another story which is finished now. I hope, I can upload at least one chapter a week.

Light took the secret tunnel back to the castle. In the library he locked the secret door, hid it underneath the tatami mat and put the calligraphy brush back to its wooden box, then he removed several old scrolls from one of the lower shelves and pulled out a bag containing fresh white socks and a pair of sandals that he had hidden there a few days ago. He had already taken off his dirty socks and sandals; it would have been extremely stupid if he had spread the muddy earth all over the room. Light put on the clean socks and slipped into the new pair of sandals. He stuffed the old things into the bag, which he hid behind the scrolls. He would dispose of it in a few days if it was less conspicuous.

Instead of leaving the library immediately, Light spent some time reading. He knew his clothes smelled of the forest and as long as the scent was still there, Sesshōmaru or any other demon would easily understand where Light had been. Light stayed until the sun was high in the sky, then he put the map showing the northern lands back into the gap between two other maps and left.

He decided to take a shortcut, which led him through one of the many gardens of the castle. The garden, which ran directly along the castle wall, was not the largest, but it was one of the most beautiful with its cypress trees proudly unfolding their branches, the koi fish pond, including some goldfish, the bamboo that towered over the castle wall and the bonsai trees, which held a special charm due to their small size. In the middle of the pond stood a red pavilion on wooden pillars, which could be reached by flat polished stones. And it was exactly on one of these stones that Yashimaru leaned forward. Light came to an halt and curiously watched the prince. Normally Yashimaru noticed immediately when Light was close by, but for the moment his attention seemed to be focused on something else. He completely forgot his surroundings and he didn't notice when Light was approaching him. Yashimaru moved forward again, his upper body was bended over the water surface. There was no sound coming from Yashimaru, he was deadly silent.

Light leaned with crossed arms against a wooden pillar and waited, he knew what was to come.

Slowly, careful not to frighten his prey, Yashimaru moved his right arm forward, his hand was bent. It was not the first time that Yashimaru went hunting. Light remembered too well the dead rat he had stepped on when he had left his bed one morning. It had been a disgusting mess. He almost slipped on the intestines and blood. And then he remembered the tattered dead bird that Yashimaru proudly presented Sesshōmaru while Light was eating his dinner. After that, Light's appetite was gone, and he retired early.

A splash - water sprayed in all directions. Yashimaru's arm had disappeared under the water surface; when he pulled his arm back, he had caught a huge fish with white and red shimmering scales. Yashimaru's small claws bored into the fish. The animal fidgeted wildly in panic and helplessly opened and closed its mouth.

Light saw the mistake immediately. Yashimaru held the fish too close to his face, and so it came as it had to come. The fish struck out and hit with its back fin Yashimaru's cheek. The prince howled and dropped he fish, but when he realized his mistake, he tried to catch it once more. Again water splashed in all directions: The prince and fish had fallen into the pond.

Light walked to the pond, where Yashimaru made wild rowing movements in the water. The prince couldn't swim and so he went repeatedly under, swallowing water and spitting it out in panic. High whimpering sounds, which Light had only heard from dogs before, cut through the air in desperation, hoping that his father would come and rescue him. Light didn't know where Sesshōmaru was. Maybe he was in his study, but he might as well be somewhere else. The prince, however, would not have the strength to stay afloat for long. Light didn't want to wait for Sesshoumaru, so he waded with clenched teeth through the cold water to Yashimaru. When he reached Yashimaru, the water reached up to Light's stomach. He grabbed the screaming bundle by the collar and pulled Yashimaru out of the pond. As soon as Yashimaru felt solid ground beneath his feet again, he went silent and looked around in confusion, then he noticed Light and he immediately clung to Light's legs.

Yashimaru pressed his face into the wet fabric of Light's hakama and burst into tears. "Light! Otō-san! I want to see otō-san! Take me to otō-san!"

Unnoticed by the two, a figure observed them from the castle roof.

Light picked Yashimaru up and used the fabric of his sleeve to wipe away the blood on Yashimaru's cheek where the fish had scrached him. "Then let's go find your otō-san." He shifted Yashimaru's weight and left the garden in search of someone who could tell him where Sesshōmaru was.

Much to Light's dislike they met Jaken first. At the sight of the prince the kappa immedeately screamed, "You useless ningen, what have you done! Sesshōmaru-sama will cut off your head for this." Jaken placed his staff in front of him on the ground and aimed the man's head at Light. "Release Yashimaru-sama at once and step aside! Poor Sesshōmaru-sama, I always knew this ningen brings only misfortune, defiling Sesshōmaru-sama's name and making him looking weak among his enemies."

"Jaken," said Yashimaru, wiping tears from his face.

"Yashimaru-sama, if you would have the kindness to free yourself from the evil clutches of this ningen so that I can roast him."

Yashimaru nestled himself closer to Light.

"Get out of my way, Jaken." Light approached the Kappa, who let out a shrill scream.

"Stay where you are, vile creature!" When Jaken saw that his words were ignored by Light, he turned to the prince. "Yashimaru-sama, as your father's loyal companion for many years, I hereby order you to free yourself."

Yashimaru shook his head "Light brings me to otō-san."

Without further ado, Light kicked Jaken aside. The kappa flew through the air and crashed head first into a stone. "I won't forgive you for that," he slurred before passing out.

Yashimaru looked over Light's shoulder at Jaken, who was lying next to the stone with his tongue hanging out.

Meanwhile, Light walked around the castle, past residential houses and simple wooden huts where mainly tools were stored, before turning to the large castle square. As soon as Light entered the square, his eyes fell on the young man standing next to a large cat, which reminded him of a saber-toothed tiger. Its two pointed fangs protruded far beyond the lower jaw. Red big eyes stared watchfully at Light while two tails swayed restlessly back and forth.

What was Kohaku doing here, Light thought as he sharply returned the demon slayer's gaze. Kohaku was wearing his black demon slayer uniform. Yellow armor plates protected his shoulders, elbows, knees, and abdomen. They were tied with green ribbons to his body so that he wouldn't lose them in battle. His large double sickle was strapped to his back; one side was larger than the other, an iron chain was wound around the handle. Sesshōmaru had told Light that the demon slayers carved their weapons from the remains of demon bones. Kohaku's weapon, however, came from the famous weapon smith Tōtōsai, who had also forged Tessaiga and Tensaiga.

Kohaku nodded at Light, then swung himself onto the back of Kirara. It looked clumsy, as if he was in pain, and only now, when Light took a closer look, did he discover deep scratches in Kohaku's uniform that didn't even stop at Kohaku's face. Kohaku had been through a tough fight, that much was certain. Light could only speculate about the circumstances, even if he suspected what had happened.

Kirara pushed herself off the ground. She seemed happy to be able to leave the Castle of the West. Light watched them flying to the south, soon vanishing behind the tree tops.

"Who was that?" Yashimaru had completely stopped crying by now, though he still pulled up his nose when he noticed it running.

Before Light could answer, a voice interrupted him.

"Yagami-san!" Yōsuke, which pushed his way through the crowd of onlookers, came towards him. "What happened to Yashimaru-sama? Why is he bleeding?" Yōsuke stopped right in front of Light and tugged at Yashimaru-sama's wet clothes. "And why are all his clothes wet?" Worried, he examined Yashimaru for further injuries.

"He's fine," replied Light and turned his back to Yōsuke and walked to the entrance of the castle.

"Mate![Wait!] You haven't given me an answer!"

Light sighed. "He fell into the pond while trying to catch a fish. The wound is from the fin of the fish. It's nothing."

Yōsuke appeared next to Light. "Does Sesshōmaru-sama know about this?"

"I'm on my way to him."

"Perhaps he should first take a bath and dress in new clothes. He looks terrible." As if to prove it, Yōsuke plucked a piece of alga from Yashimaru's hair. "Besides, you both smell."

Light nodded. He had intended to do exactly that. "Do you know where Sesshōmaru-sama is?"

"Hai, I heard he's in his study."

Light left Yōsuke and looked for a servant to wash Yashimaru and dress him in new, dry clothes. While the prince was being cared for, Light himself took a bath and got rid of his wet hakama, which he exchanged for a fresh one. With Yashimaru by his side, they went together to Sesshōmaru’s study. It was located on the top floor of the castle, narrow corridors and steep wooden stairs led up. Beads of sweat formed on Light's forehead as they finally climbed the last and almost vertical wooden staircase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter Sesshōmaru’s beta and general is introduced.


	9. Chapter 9

Light announced himself and Yashimaru by name, though he knew Sesshōmaru had already noticed them, then he slid open the door and immediately scolded himself for his thoughtless action.

Sesshōmaru wasn't alone. Beside him stood a crow yōkai, who had long been a thorn in Light's side. Tall like Sesshōmaru, with black medium-length hair from which long coal-black feathers grew, the crow yōkai was the only person against whom all attempts at manipulation had failed.

Sesshōmaru's Beta and general bowed as Light entered. He pulled the corners of his mouth slightly upwards as if he was amused to see Light. Light ignored the general's gaze. In Sesshōmaru's presence it was better to talk as little as possible to Keisuke.

Yashimaru ran towards his father. "Otō-san! Light found you!"

Sesshōmaru stroked Yashimaru's head, picked him up and sat him on a table covered by a huge map.

Keisuke's left eyebrow rose. "What happened to his cheek, Yagami-sama?"

"The fin of a koi injured Yashimaru when he tried to catch a it."

"Hn," came it from Sesshōmaru. He bent down to his son, who held out his little arms expectantly. Instead of picking him up, Sesshōmaru pressed his forehead against Yashimaru's, and to Light's surprise, he licked the scratch on Yashimaru's cheek. The prince sqeezed his eyes shut, whimpering several times, before Sesshōmaru let go of him.

Light stepped next to the daiyōkai and examined Yashimaru's face, which again resembled that of a porcelain doll, so white and flawless was it. There wasn't the slightest sign that an ugly reddened gash had graced the prince's cheek just moments ago.

"I didn't know you could do that." Light had thought he knew about all of the daiyōkai's abilities by now. Sesshōmaru's hand settled on Light's shoulder and Light felt his long sharp nails pressing lightly against his skin through his clothes.

"Yashimaru is my blood. The saliva of an inuyōkai has a healing effect. It will be able to heal him until he's grown up."

"When will that be?" asked Light.

"When you have already passed away," replied Keisuke.

Instead of letting himself being baited by Keisuke's words, Light remained calm. "Well, you can't cheat death, you would have to be a shinigami for that."

Instantly, Keisuke's expression hardened and his yōki ran across his skin. "Your shinigami," he began warningly, "was found this morning in the storeroom by the apples. This is the fifth time, if anyone finds him there again, I'll have him exorcised."

Light shrugged his shoulders. "Do as you wish. Ryuk is useless to me."

Light's answer surprised Keisuke. Briefly, his eyes widened and his mouth opened as if he wanted to add something, but then changed his mind and said instead. "Allow me to deal with the shinigami, Sesshōmaru-sama."

"Should the shinigami approach the storeroom again despite warning, you have my permission to deal with him as you wish. My mate seems to be unable to control him."

Light shot Sesshōmaru a disdainful look and he tried to shake Sesshōmaru's hand from his shoulder, causing the daiyōkai to tighten his grip. Light, who took a step away from Sesshōmaru, was suddenly pushed back against the demon's chest. A loud _'oof'_ escaped his lips as his back collided with Sesshōmaru's chest.

"Keisuke-san, send word to Jaken. He will be looking after Yashimaru from now on."

Yashimaru's head jerked in his father's direction. "I don't want Jaken!"

"This is not for you to decide, you will obey" said Sesshōmaru in a tone that didn't tolerate any argument.

Yashimaru knew from experience whenever his father took that stern tone, he had to listen. "Otō-san is mean," he murmured nonetheless, before jumping off the table and running to the door. He slid it open a crack to squeeze through.

Sesshōmaru nodded to Keisuke, who grabbed the prince by the collar. He put Yashimaru on his shoulders and stepped out into the hallway, then he closed the sliding door behind him, leaving Light and Sesshōmaru alone.

As soon as they were alone Light forcefully pushed away from Sesshōmaru, who didn't stop him. He glared at the daiyōkai with angry eyes. "You made a fool of me. I have the shinigami under control!"

"He's useless to you," used Sesshōmaru Light's word from earlier.

"He is, but that doesn't mean I can't control him."

"You don't have complete control over him. There's plenty of evidence saying otherwise."

"I-"

"My mate acts like a yōkai in heat," growled Sesshōmaru at Light.

Light almost choked. "I beg your pardon?"

Sesshōmaru approached Light, pushing him into a corner.

"You're acting like a yōkai in heat, who's challenging this Sesshōmaru to find out if this Sesshōmaru is worthy being your mate," he explained to Light. 

Sesshōmaru braced his arms to the left and right of Light's head and leaned forward until the tips of their noses were almost touching. "Perhaps it's because I've taken you as my mate, knowing full well that you'll fill this role perfectly."

Light's eyes darkened.

"Why are you fighting your mate?"

Light took a dismissive stance: he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I am not fighting you, Sesshōmaru-sama. You are my mate." In his mind, Light literally shuddered as he pressed that loathed word across his lips. He hadn't expected Sesshōmaru to address his dismissive behavior today. The daiyōkai hadn't cared for the past three months, so why now?

Sesshōmaru took a strand of brown hair between his fingers. "And yet I sense your anger directed at your mate."

"I'm not angry with you."

Sesshōmaru's eyes narrowed. "You know very well that I can smell your anger."

"Well, my dear mate!" said Light, and the word 'mate' sounded as if it was a poison to be spat out as quickly as possible, "then tell me what exactly I'm supposed to be angry at."

Their noses touched. Their eyes under each other's spell. Time stood still and the words that had been hanging in the air between them for the past weeks, months, but never spoken until now, finally found an owner; it was Sesshōmaru.

"You resent being my mate," he said dryly.

Light's expression was instantly blank.

"But there is something else." Fingers brushed over the crescent moon on Light's neck. Sesshōmaru leaned forward and his lips stopped right next to Light's ear. "Your mind may detest me, but my mate's body sings lovingly to me."

"That's nonsense!" Light ducked under Sesshōmaru's arms and fled the room.

* * *

Light pulled his legs closer to his chest and looked up at the sky, where clouds covered the stars - hanging low, they slowly drifted across the night sky. A single drop fell on a leaf. A second and third drop reached the earth, followed by a fourth and fifth, then soon so many came that they mingled into a loud rushing sound. Light watched the rain for a while, before he left the terrace and retired to the guest room that had been prepared for him.

Ryuk hovered over his futon and grinned at him when he saw Light. "Finally! I was beginning to think you were going to spend the whole night outside."

Light gave the shinigami a dismissive look that openly expressed that Ryuk was not welcome.

"Why are you here?"

Light walked over to a pitcher on a table in the corner of the room and poured himself a cup of water. In a few gulps he emptied the cup and filled it a second time. His throat was uncomfortably dry, as if sandpaper was stuck in it.

"They won't let me in the storeroom anymore. They want to exorcize me if they find me there again."

Light walked past Ryuk and opened a chest, from which he took a simple kimono for the night.

"Are you even listening to me?" said Ryuk beside Light.

Light paused and looked up at the shinigami. "There will be plenty of other places you can find apples, don't bother me unnecessarily."

The shinigami's red pupils followed Light as he disappeared behind the bamboo screen to change his clothes.

"Hyuk, hyuk ... these apples are the last ones left," Ryuk said, "I plundered the meadows and villages weeks ago."

Light came out from behind the bamboo screen. "It's your own fault, Ryuk. If you could restrain yourself better, there'd be plenty left."

"I thought Light, since you are the mate of Sesshōmaru, you could talk to him."

"If so, then I would have to talk to the general, but since I don't care about your problem, I will sleep now. Good night!" Light lay down on the futon and pulled the winter blanket over his body. He wanted his peace and quiet, he wanted the shinigami to leave.

"Come on, Light. I've helped you enough times. You could show a little more gratitude."

Light remained silent.

"I saw you with that boy today. You're planning something behind Sesshōmaru's back. «

Light shot up immediately.

Ryuk was right beside him, baring his teeth. The corners of his mouth pulled up into an ugly grimace. "Hehe... I couldn't hear what you two were talking about, but I didn't need to. No matter what you plan, Light, if I tell Sesshōmaru, nothing will come of it." With his typical _'hyuk'_ , Ryuk lay down on his back in the air and crossed his long arms behind his head.

Light dug his fingers into the soft futon. "Fine... I'll talk to the general. Let me sleep now, Ryuk. I'm tired."

"Gladly, Light."

The shinigami flew through the wooden wall.

* * *

Sesshōmaru's Beta and general Keisuke. I drew him a while ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always believed that Light has difficulties understanding his own feelings, his own mind is preventing him to. Right now, finding a way to get rid of the mating mark is of a higher priority than dealing with the fact that a part of Light still longs for Sesshōmaru. I like how Sesshōmaru speaks bluntly to Light and let's him know that though Light's mind dislikes him at the moment, his yōkai senses pick up that Light's body is still attracted to him.


	10. Chapter 10

The music exuded melodious, gentle sounds that filled the room and lifted the mood of the guests. Mindful not to appear exuberant, the geisha played the shamisen with great care. It was obvious that she was a master of the instrument. Three strings stretched over the long shamisen neck, from which she elicited the most beautiful tones. Her geisha sister sat on her knees next to her and bent over the koto. Her hands lovingly glided over the strings and plucked them. The geisha playing the shamisen opened her mouth and began to sing. Another geisha moved in the middle of the room to the rhythm of the music. Slowly, with lowered eyes and a smile on her lips, she turned her body and raised the fan in her hand. A comb with several flowers glistened in her artfully arranged hair. Her face was powdered white and her lips shimmered a bright strawberry red.

The silk kimono, in blue and white, with a pattern representing winter, fitted perfectly to her petite body. Many eyes were on her, following her dance, which was only danced during the cold season. However, one pair of eyes remained unimpressed with the performance. Instead of following the seductive movements of the geisha, his attention was on another person in the room. Located to the right of Sesshōmaru was none other than Light Yagami, his half-brother's mate.

Light reached for the cup of sake that had been filled up by a geisha a few seconds ago and took a long sip. The rice wine burned in his throat for a moment, then he noticed the warmth spreading from his belly throughout his body. He put the cup back on the table in front of him and met Inuyasha's gaze, who had been watching him all evening.

Light leaned forward slightly and gave Inuyasha a charming smile. As soon as the corners of his mouth curved upward and his face radiated openness and warmth, Inuyasha frowned. His innocent expression seemed to irritate the hanyō, because he suddenly turned away.

Satisfied, Light took his chopsticks and put a piece of fish into his rice bowl. While he ate, Yōsuke chatted with the general. Light was glad it was Yōsuke sitting next to him and not Keisuke, although the general as Sesshōmaru's Beta had the right to do so. Light took another sip from the sake while letting his gaze wander over the guests. He didn't know all the demons who had come to the prince's celebration. Some faces were unfamiliar to him, but he knew they all belonged to the Inuclan, with the exception of Inuyasha who lived without one.

"Yagami-san!" Yōsuke turned to him with a broad grin. "What do you think of Yashimaru-sama's sword? Once he has mastered it, he will be unstoppable."

"It seems indeed to be a mighty sword."

"Of course it is! After all, it was forged from a fang of Sesshōmaru-sama." Yōsuke toasted Light and the demon emptied his cup in one gulp. A geisha came over with a pitcher and refilled his cup with sake. "Any yōkai would be proud to have a sword made by the famous blacksmith Tōtōsai." Yōsuke sighed. "Unfortunately, he's very picky with his customers. He doesn't forge for everyone." The demon leaned over to Light and whispered. "I heard he only agreed to forge a sword for Yashimaru-sama because he's the firstborn and heir to the Western Lands and because he was friends with Inu no Taishō."

Inu no Taishō, the father of Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha. Light knew under his rule the west gained more power than ever before. Not necessarily surprising, since Inu no Taishō was considered a demon who perfectly mastered the game of power and politics down to the smallest detail. To find out more about him, Light had looked into old records. He wanted to know what kind of personality Sesshōmaru's father had possessed? What kind of ruler he had been? His strengths and weaknesses? And what kind of relationship he had had with his son, Sesshōmaru?

Most documents told of battles Inu no Taishō had fought against the dragon clan in the north and the panther clan in the south. He read through trade treaties, peace treaties, political agreements, agreements with various groups of humans who requested the castle's protection and received it in exchange for goods. There were tons of records and Light had to read every day until late at night.

But in the end, it had been the flea demon, Myōga, who handed him the missing pieces to the puzzle. Through his words and hints Light finally saw the whole picture. He understood the family drama that had been set in motion when Inu no Taishō had chosen a human hime as his mate and Inuyasha's mother. The information not only helped him to get to know Sesshōmaru's father, but also to better understand Sesshōmaru himself. Like father like son, Light knew from his own experience how much truth there could be in this saying.

Sesshōmaru's cold gaze bored into the commander of the castle guard. "Your duty is to guard the castle, not listening to the gossip of the staff."

Yōsukes swallowed hard. He slid backward with the seat cushion and bowed so low that his forehead touched the floor. "Gomen nasai! [Pardon me] Sesshōmaru-sama! It will not happen again."

Sesshōmaru gave Yōsuke another cold look.

Seeing this, Yōsuke hastily bowed three more times. While Yōsuke apologized, Light took the cup between his fingers and let the sake swirl in it. "Is Yōsuke-san right? Is the rumor true?" Light spoke in a lowered voice, not wanting every demon to overhear.

"It's a rumor," said Sesshōmaru tersely. It was apparent that the Daiyōkai was unwilling to speak on the subject.

A rumor - some rumors possessed a grain of truth, Light thought, the majority, however, he knew, was total humbug. Hair-raising stories were circulating in the castle about himself - some more outlandish than the other: Light was a demon hiding in the skin of a human; another said he had been a demon in his previous life who had been particularly close to Sesshōmaru, but who had died in a raid. Reborn as a human, Sesshōmaru found him in a small village in the mountains, where he immediately recognized him and brought him back to the castle. The staff was not entirely in agreement on this rumor. In one version Light had been a warrior in the other a monk. Light could only shake his head, it seemed that demons, when it came to gossip, were no different from humans.

Nevertheless, the feeling remained that Yosuke's words were not all wrong, that this rumor belonged to those who had a core of truth.

Light listened to the music. The geisha was still dancing. She had replaced the fan with a blue bamboo umbrella. She swung it sideways past her body, took small, quick steps forward and suddenly sank to her knees. She stayed there for several seconds - her face and body hidden behind the umbrella. Then, slowly, she unfolded her curled-up body and straightened to full height. Light knew this choreography. It was danced unchanged even in his time. The curved posture embodied a flower bud that had gone into hibernation. With the onset of spring, it awoke and bloomed more brightly and beautifully than ever.

The cool clay pressed against soft lips and again sake made its way down Light's throat. By now Light was sweating in his clothes. The sake warmed him so much that he already felt beads of sweat running down his back. Hardly had he emptied his cup when it was filled again.

The further the evening progressed, the more exuberant the mood in the room became. Barely any attention was paid to the dancing geisha now; instead, the conversations grew louder until the geisha's music was hardly heard.

Light felt as if he was sitting right next to a large fire, its heat licking over his skin and seeping into his body, forming a hot ball of fire in his stomach.

 _'DABUM!'_ made his heart. He let out a soft breath.

_DABUM!_

The music suddenly sounded brassy, as if it came from a record that had cracked. The voices mingled all together and left Light with a stabbing pain in his head. Worst of all were his thoughts, which prefered to torment him with ridiculous fantasies.

He noticed a pair of eyes boring into him; it was Inuyasha. Of course, Light thought, who else would stare at him so rudely? The hanyō rose from his seat and approached him.

"Inuyasha," Light greeted in a condescending voice. "Do I have something on my face, or why do you keep staring at me?"

"Keh!" Inuyasha crossed his arms. "I need to talk to you, Yagami ... alone," he added when he felt Sesshōmaru's eyes on him. "I guess I'm allowed to do that, right?"

"Do what you want, Inuyasha," Sesshōmaru replied bored.

Curious, Light rose and followed Inuyasha out of the room. What did Inuyasha have to tell him so urgently?

"Mate! [wait!], Inuyasha-san," Yōsuke called after them. "I hope you bring Yagami-san back soon, after all, we are drinking partners."

"Baka! [Idiot!]," replied Inuyasha.

Light followed Inuyasha to a dimly lit hallway and balcony. Small flames flickered inside paper lanterns, bathing their surroundings in a warm orange hue. Inuyasha stopped next to a red pillar engraved with kanjis telling the story of a demon who had spent his entire life wandering. The hanyō leaned against the pillar with a grim face and tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Light held onto the wooden railing of the balcony and let the cool air caress him. It was good he had left the warm room to get some fresh air. He could almost see how his skin was steaming, how white vapor was surrounding him ... but suddenly the image changed and his imagination took on new shapes: A muscular body was pressing him against the railing, hands were holding him steady, a deep growl made his heart jump. Hot breath - everywhere! On his neck, on his chest, traveling down ... deeper and deeper until ..."

"Yagami! Do you even listen to me?" Inuyasha was waving his hand in front of Light's face.

Light blinked. Why was he having such fantasies? Did they come from the alcohol? He rubbed his temple while Inuyasha chewed his lower lip in annoyance.

"Tz! Baka! You didn't listen to me at all!"

"Inuyasha," said Light when he could think again - as clearly as he could in his current state. "You see I'm not at my best. I'd be grateful if you could repeat what you just said."

"Keh! I said you're an idiot."

"Yes, I couldn't help overhearing it, but what did you say before that?"

Inuyasha tilted his head slightly to the side. "Basically the exact same thing."

Light's face darkened and a loud sigh escaped his lips. Impatiently, he tapped his finger against the wooden railing. "If you have nothing else to tell me, then I can leave."

"You know, Yagami, somehow it's always the same." Inuyasha looked Light straight into the eyes.

Inuyasha's eyes strongly reminded Light of Sesshōmaru's, both possessing the same amber, except that Sesshōmaru's eyes shimmered a touch darker.

"The smarter a person is, the less they know about their own feelings. For you, everything happens here." Inuyasha pointed at Light's head. "Since our conversation this morning, I've been thinking. I've been thinking about whether there might be a way to get rid of my brother's mating mark ... And lo and behold, I've even come up with an idea."

Light pushed himself off the wooden railing and stepped in front of Inuyasha. "What do you know?"

"What do I know?" Inuyasha slid his hands deeper into the sleeves of his red kariginu. "I know you wouldn't mind if Sesshōmaru slept with you. You've been whining to him all evening." Inuyasha pulled up the right corner of his mouth in a sneer. "Believe me, you don't want to get rid of his mating mark."

"What are you saying?" Light was speechless. Inuyasha was insinuating that Light was whining at Sesshōmaru like a dog? Without him being able to stop it, another image formed before his eyes. Light saw himself in a dog costume with plush ears; tail wagging, he knelt in front of Sesshōmaru and rubbed his face against his outstretched hand. He wanted to -

When he realized what he was doing, Light instantly snapped himself out of his absurd imagination. Heat rose in him, it traveled down from his stomach to his loins, where his cock began to stir. Embarrassed, Light turned away from Inuyasha and looked over the rooftops into the night. "I guess the booze went to your head, huh?" he snarled at the hanyō.

Inuyasha growled. "You're the one who's been drinking all night!" A brief pause of silence spread between them, then Inuyasha said, "Since you can't smell it yourself, I'll tell you now. According to your smell, Yagami, you want my brother. The smell you've been giving off for hours clearly speaks for itself. Every yōkai in the room knows it, the only one who doesn't realize it is you." He paused briefly, then continued. "I'm not going to help you with Sesshōmaru's mating mark. My advice to you - accept it and accept it here." Inuyasha tapped against Light's forehead and grinned at the human who was staring at him as if he had a madman in front of him.

"What nonsense!" said Light, annoyed.

Inuyasha could only snort contemptuously at such stubbornness. "Keh! You really have no idea about your feelings, Yagami. I'll admit I didn't know either until tonight, but your smell explains a lot." Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. "You're a submissive. I would have thought you were dominant actually, after all you have some Alpha traits. You even have some things in common with Sesshōmaru. Well, it seems that you prefer to be led by someone stronger ..."

What the hell was Inuyasha talking about? His head was buzzing; submissive, dominant, Alpha? What total bullshit was that? Suddenly Light remembered something that had happened a long time ago: Back then Sayu had told him about yaoi mangas with a face as red as a tomato and eyes shining like stars. Through Sayu, Light learned that there was always a dominant partner and a submissive partner in these stories. How pathetic that notion was. He wasn't a submissive, he was certainly not submissive to anyone let alone Sesshōmaru. Right now, Light would have loved to spit on the floor to express his contempt, but it didn't suit his character and so he let out a brief angry hiss.

"Let's go back," he growled at Inuyasha "I've had enough of your ridiculous fairy tales."

"It was clear this wouldn't sit well with you." Inuyasha fell in step with Light. "I understand now why Sesshōmaru has taken you as his mate, submissive, but the behavior of a leader. The perfect mate for a Daiyōkai."

"Shut up!" Light quickened his pace and left Inuyasha behind. He followed the noise and was soon standing in front of the sliding door behind which the celebration was ongoing. Before he could open it, the door slid open and a geisha invited him in. As Light entered the room, Yōsuke waved his cup in his direction with an oafish grin on his face.

Inuyasha didn't follow behind him. He had probably retreated. Light knew the hanyō was more comfortable around humans than demons. Light headed for his spot between Sesshōmaru and Yōsuke. So far, he had avoided looking in Sesshōmaru's direction. For good reason as Light soon found out, because as soon as his eyes met liquid amber, as soon as they got caught in it, a firework of emotions erupted in Light’s body, making his knees go weak and he fell clumsily on the seat cushion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The balcony scene with Inuyasha and drunken Light is one of my favorits, their conversation is just too hilarious XD


	11. Chapter 11

What was wrong with him? Why did he react that way? Was it the alcohol? Light frowned. He knew he could control himself even under the heavy influence of alcohol. It had to be something else. Was Inuyasha right? Light had to find out.

He noticed the bowl half-full of rice in front of him. He took the chopsticks between his fingers and was about to reach for the water spinach when a warm hand came to rest on his back. As if Light had touched a high-voltage cable, a feeling similar to electricity rushed through his whole body, in all directions and corners; into the tips of his toes, into his fingertips, up and down his spine - nothing was spared. With a surprised groan, the chopsticks fell out of his hand. The wood rolled across the table and clattered to the floor.

The room fell silent. Some demons leaned forward to get a better look at Light. Light apologized for his mishap, then bent down to pick up the chopsticks. A warm hand wrapped quickly around his wrist and stopped his movement. Surprised, Light turned to face the person. Sesshōmaru, he thought, before his thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

Hot, glowing, fiery, demanding and more. Lips pressed against his, pulling him down to a place where Light Yagami and his past no longer mattered. Even the room he was in, all the guests, nothing seemed real anymore. Riding the wave of passion, Light's hands slid through long white hair to pull the head even closer to him. A growl, deep, wild and unrestrained reached his ear. The hairs on the back of Light's neck stood up as a pleasurable shiver ran down his spine. Light wanted more.

Eventually, Sesshōmaru pulled away and left Light speechless. Then Light's mind started working again and immediately his cheeks heated up. Light turned away from Sesshōmaru and looked around, he saw Jaken with his mouth wide open and eyes threatening to fall out of his head. Oddly enough, Jaken was the only demon in the room with shock written all over his face.

Why had Sesshōmaru kissed him in front of everyone? Was the mating mark not evidence enough that Light belonged to the demon? But then, maybe Sesshōmaru wanted to proof something to Light; was it about the words he had said to him in the study _"Your mind may detest me, but my mate's body sings lovingly to me."_

"To Sesshōmaru-sama and Yagami-sama!" A demon, of medium stature, slender with a pointed face, had risen to his feet and raised his mug of sake.

"To Sesshōmaru-sama and Yagami-sama," the others joined in. Even Keisuke's voice was heard.

Light was glad when the celebration drew to a close and he was able to leave without appearing rude. He walked to his room, retrieved new clothes, and followed the hallway that took him to the bathhouse. An owl swung from a branch and flew into the darkness. A dead mouse hung between its talons.

Light entered the anteroom of the bathhouse, where he undressed, rinsed his body quickly with a bucket of water, before he finally stepped into the hot water. More doors separated several rooms where the pools were of different temperatures. Light had chosen the outdoor pool, hoping the cold air would cool his head. He swam through the water and sat on a stone which was below the water surface.

By now it was especially cold. His breath condensed, leaving little clouds of steam. Hanging low, a cover of gray clouds moved along the sky, blocking out the lights of the stars. A wind followed that smelled of snow. Snow from the mountains that had been sleeping under a white blanket for several days now. Light ran his index finger over his lips. The thought of the kiss still lingered on his mind. Light sighed and sank deeper into the water. The kiss had left a burning desire in him for more. He could no longer deny it, his body was responding to the Daiyōkai.

Pull yourself together, he murmured to himself. He was Light Yagami. Since when did he let his emotions rule him. Whether the alcohol was to blame or not, none of this should have happened. Angrily, Light slapped the water with his open palm, hitting accidentally a huge stone sticking out.

_"Ah!"_

Pain flashed through his hand and blood dripped instantly from his palm in thick beads. Dammit, he had cut himself! When Light examined the stone for the first time, he realized it must have come from the sea. Remains of sharp-edged shells covered it, shells that had lived on the stone to avoid being swept away by the strong ocean currents, probably hundreds of years ago, he thought.

There was no point in staying longer in the hot water with an open wound and Light left the hot spring, stepped into the anteroom of the bathhouse and washed his bleeding hand with cold water. The cut was no longer than one centimeter but it appeared to be deep. A small piece of the shell was still stuck in his skin. Under the light of a dim glowing lantern and with a painful hiss Light pulled the shell out. Then he cleaned his hand once more with water, before he tied a piece of cloth around it and Light slipped into fresh clothes. He left the bathhouse and walked back to his room. His steps were quick as his wet hair made him shiver unpleasantly. He noticed how the temperature had dropped another degree; it would be snowing soon.

Winters in Japan without a heater or a kokatsu were extremely uncomfortable. The demons didn't mind the cold temperatures nor the snow. Light, however, had to be careful not to catch a cold. None of the rooms in the castle were heated. Upon request, he had been given skins that at least kept him warm at night.

Light turned another corner and slammed into something hard. He lost his footing and was about to fall when an arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him into an upright position. White hair fell on Light's face. White and shiny it brushed against his cheeks and tickled him. When Light looked up he saw Sesshōmaru's amber eyes staring back at him silently but with great interest.

"Oyasumi-nasai [Good night]," Light said, releasing himself from the Daiyōkai's grip. He turned around and retreated several steps before Sesshōmaru's voice stopped him.

"I did not dismiss you."

Light's mouth twisted. "It's been a long night. I'm tired."

"You'll be able to handle the lack of sleep."

Light, who had his back to Sesshōmaru, turned around and would have greatly enjoyed making a biting remark in return. He restrained himself, however, for he knew it would be pointless and would only anger Sesshōmaru unnecessarily.

"Come to me, mate." Except for his lips, Sesshōmaru did not move, almost as if he had frozen into a stone pillar. His eyes were fixed on Light as he waited patiently.

Light fought against his emotions, which had been going crazy all evening. At Sesshōmaru's deep voice, brimming with power, the small blazing flame inside him grew to new strength, making his heart beat faster.

"Come to me, Light," said Sesshōmaru and held out his hand to him.

Light swallowed. Something flickered across his skin, traveled up his neck, down his arms, and stroked his chest. Sesshōmaru's yōki swirled around Light, enveloping him in an upward spiral. Surprised, Light took a step back.

It was not the first time he had felt Sesshōmaru's yōki. Light didn't possess spiritual abilities like a miko or monk, but he didn't need to. If Sesshōmaru willed it, even Light could sense his yōki.

Light leaned against a wooden pillar to support his weakening body. The yōki was getting to him. "Stop it!" he croaked. His mouth was unpleasantly dry.

Sesshōmaru still extended his hand invitingly in Light's direction.

Through his bangs, Light stared at the open palm. "I will not take your hand," he snarled. Light let go of the pillar and stumbled down the hallway, breathing heavily. Sesshōmaru's yōki slowed him down and numbed his senses. He had never been exposed to Sesshōmaru's yōki for such a long time. Why did Sesshōmaru want to weaken him?

Light slumped to the ground, he could have kept walking, but he would not longer play Sesshōmaru's game. Footsteps came towards him, stopping right behind him. A hand came down on his head, ran through his brown hair, grabbed a tuft of hair and pulled hard. Light's head tipped back painfully. With fiery eyes and a face contorted with anger, Light looked at Sesshōmaru's surprisingly calm expression. "What are you doing! Do you think using force on me will give you what you want?"

Suddenly, Sesshōmaru's appearance blurred. Everything happened so quickly. Light heard a door open, then he stood swaying in a room, but couldn't remember how he got here. The world spun again at a normal pace and Light breathed a sigh of relief, which unfortunately didn't last long. A push against his back and Light landed on a soft futon. There he whirled around and looked up disdainfully at Sesshōmaru. "Are you going to rape me now, your own mate!"

Sesshōmarus gave Light a sharp look. "Do not confuse me with these lowly creatures. I, Sesshōmaru, would never sink so low that I would unite with you against your will."

Sesshōmaru ordered his yōki back and Light immediately felt better, yet he frowned when he heard the Daiyōkai's words. "Then why are we here?" Light stood up. "I have no intention of sleeping with you-" His voice broke off as another push threw him back onto the futon.

"You are here, mate, because it's time you learn your lesson." Sesshōmaru stood beside the futon and looked down at Light, who struggled to his feet, only to once more land face down.

"Stay down! That's an order."

"Forget it!" growled Light, pressing his hands left and right into the futon. With all his might, he braced himself against Sesshōmaru's hand resting on his back between his shoulder blades. For a brief moment Light thought he could do it, he even made it to all fours, but then, he didn't even know how it happened, he was suddenly on his back and Sesshōmaru over him.

Sesshōmaru's eyes took on a strange glint, almost as if he was looking at something expectantly. What it was, Light didn't know. Perhaps it was his fist, when Sesshōmaru brushed Light's wet hair to the side, Light slammed it into his face. In a flash, a hand closed around his knuckles and stopped his attack.

"Isn't one injury enough for you, mate? You'll only harm yourself unnecessarily." Sesshōmaru looked at Light's hand with the makeshift bandage. He untied the knot, and the fabric fell to the floor, exposing the wound underneath, which was still bleeding, though weaker. Sesshōmaru put Light's hand to his mouth and started licking over Light's palm, cleaning the cut.

"Ugh … ahh!" Light groaned startled. "W-what are you doing? I thought, you said this would only work on Yashimaru."

When finished, Sesshōmaru wrapped the cloth around Light’s hand again. "Your wound has to heal naturally, yet my saliva has the properties to clean it. Ningen bodies are terrible weak, even a small cut can mean death."

"I would have taken care of it myself."

"As your mate it’s this Sesshōmaru’s duty to take care of you."

Despite it being cold in the room, Light's body warmed up. He ignored the strange feeling and pushed it aside. "You should listen to yourself! How can you say such things while holding me? Let go of me, Sesshōmaru!" Light purposely forgot the _'sama'_. The Daiyōkai couldn't treat him as he wanted and expect that Light would still show him the same respect. "Let go of me!" hissed Light again and began to squirm. He slammed his knee into Sesshōmaru's stomach and tried to pull himself out from under Sesshōmaru's powerful body.

Sesshōmaru grabbed Light's wrists and pressed them against the tatami mat on which the futon was rolled out. Sesshōmaru's white fur, mokomoko, lifted Light's head, which had slipped over the edge of the tatami onto the hard wooden floor due to Light's wild movements. Mokomoko bedded Light's head softly, soft as sheep's wool and just as warming.

"Give yourself to me," whispered Sesshōmaru with the corner of his mouth pointing slightly upward.

Light paused in his movement. Sesshōmaru was amused. He actually thought it was funny! Light snorted through his nose in frustration. "Certainly not! As if I would give myself to you just because you demand it."

"I can remember you doing it several times before."

"I wasn't your mate then!" spat Light.

Warm lips pressed against Light's mouth, whose eyes widened when Sesshōmaru kissed him again and he tried to turn his head away. He finally succeeded, but too late, the kiss had done something to him. Not only was his heart beating like crazy, but his cock had awakened with a twitch. Half erect, it waited for the Daiyōkai to continue seducing him.

"Surrender to your mate," growled Sesshōmaru. A hot breath trailed from Light's ear down to his collarbone.

Light arched his back through. "You are delusional, Sesshōmaru!"

Sesshōmaru unfastened Light's obi and bared his chest. He circled Light's nipple with his tongue, then began to suck.

"Hn! Damn it!" moaned Light. "I'm not surrendering to anyone. Remember that, Sesshōma- ahhh!"

Sesshōmaru had lightly bitten Light's nipple, eliciting a cry from him. "You will surrender to me, for that is your true nature." With a growl, he pulled Light's kimono down over his shoulders. "For weeks your scent has told me what you crave, what you long for."

"Uff!" made Light as the air was forced from his lungs and he found himself on his stomach. The weight of the Daiyōkai settled on his body, preventing him from breaking free. Coughing, Light emerged from mokomoko, into which Sesshōmaru had pressed him. The Daiyōkai's hair blocked his view; like a waterfall it fell to the ground around Light's head, resembling a frozen lake in winter.

"What is it, you intend to achieve here, Sesshōmaru? You only make me despise you!" Light tilted his head to the side and squinted up into Sesshōmaru's face. Instead of answering, the Daiyōkai's tongue ran down Light's spine between his shoulder blades. Light bit his lips, yet a low moan escaped him as a pleasurable shiver spread up his spine. "Stop it!" he said with hint of panic in his voice. How much longer could he resist? His initial anger evaporated like drops on hot sand.

"Sesshōmaru!", Light tried to get through to the Daiyōkai. Again he got no response, at least not the response he had hoped for.

Fingers wrapped around Light's chin and turned his head. A thumb stroked his lips gently, then it was replaced by a mouth that engaged him in a heated kiss. Fiercely, possessively and dominating Sesshōmaru's tongue slipped between Light's lips and conquered every corner of his mouth.

Light gasped breathlessly as their tongues danced together, caressing each other as if they had missed each other. He noticed his rational mind waving the white flag and saying goodbye. He didn't care anymore, he was too caught up in the overwhelming feelings that burst to the surface like a exploding volcano, setting his skin on fire.

He wanted the Daiyōkai. Light wanted Sesshōmaru.

Sesshōmaru deepened the kiss, but then, when it started to feel amazingly good, to Light's disappointment Sesshōmaru pulled away. Light lay beneath him, panting heavily, hearing his heart pounding loudly in his chest.

Sesshōmaru drew Light's aroused and sweet scent into his nose with relish and half-closed eyes.

Light turned around as Sesshōmaru released his arms and gazed with glazed eyes at the Daiyōkai's flawless face. He faintly recognized the two magenta stripes that ran down each of Sesshōmaru's cheeks. He raised his hand and traced them with his fingertips, then hooked his fingers in the back of the Daiyōkai's neck and pulled himself up against him into a sitting position. Instantly, Light pressed his lips against Sesshōmaru's mouth, demandingly kissing him. He licked Sesshōmaru's lower lip for a second, then kissed down Sesshōmaru's throat. When he reached the same spot where Light's own mating mark was, he bit down hard and heard a surprised moan from Sesshōmaru.

With a triumphant smile, Light pulled back only to stare into empty space. Where the heck was Sesshōmaru? Cold air rushed through the open door, painfully erecting his nipples. Light stood up and dressed quickly. Standing next to the door he saw the outline of Sesshōmaru. In the dim light, his white hair and clothes looked ghostly, as if he were not flesh and blood but a being from the netherworld.

"So this was all still a game for you," said Light in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I'll give you a choice," replied Sesshōmaru. "You know where my chambers are. It's up to you whether I meet you there tonight." Sesshōmaru stepped out into the hallway and left.

"Mate! [Wait!] Sesshōmaru!" That bastard! He just left him here. Without further ado, Light ran after him and caught up with him in one of the corridors. This late at night, the castle was quiet. In the distance, Light heard faint sounds. Someone was talking - probably one of the castle guards. Light didn't hesitate. He grabbed Sesshōmaru by the front of his kimono and pushed the Daiyōkai against the nearest wall, to his surprise Sesshōmaru allowed it, maybe the bastard was curious about what Light intended to do. 

"Don't walk away from me, Sesshōmaru. You will finish what you started!" growled Light at him.

"Hn," said Sesshōmaru unimpressed by Light's aggressive behavior.

"Nani!" Light couldn't even form a clear thought before he landed on mokomoko, who broke his fall. Sesshōmaru stood over him and began to remove his clothes.

"Wait a second, here?" Light looked around the hallway.

"Here and now," said Sesshōmaru.

"That's not what I meant! Someone might see us."

"This Sesshōmaru wouldn't care, but if it bothers my mate, the yōkais in this clan know not to come this way."

It was different. This time it was different. Never before had Light felt so much, never before had he been so sensitive to the Daiyōkai's touch. Sesshōmaru was in complete control of him, and Light enjoyed it. He enjoyed being able to let himself fall, knowing that the Daiyōkai was strong enough to catch him. Naked, their bodies rubbed against each other. While Sesshōmaru moved deeply inside him, Light arched his back in pleasure.

"Hn! Ah!" Light's breathing became shallower, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Heat built up in his body, swelling into a raging river that would sweep him away at any moment. "Sesshōmaru," moaned Light "Sesshōmaru, I ..." Light clawed at mokomoko with a loud groan, then came. The tension in his body was released so suddenly that his vision clouded over, and for a brief moment everything was blurred.

Sesshōmaru came shortly after him with a low grunt. The Daiyōkai stopped and lingered in the position for several seconds, while embracing Light.

Light sighed as he felt the strong arms around him. He felt so relaxed that he fell asleep.

Sesshōmaru pulled out of Light and dressed in his kimono and Hakama. He fastened his armor and swords while mokomoko wrapped itself around Light's naked body, protecting him from the cold. Sesshōmaru picked up Light and carried his sleeping mate to his chambers. He entered them through the garden. On the terrace, he stopped briefly to look at the white flakes falling from the sky.

It was snowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not completely happy with the translation of this chapter this time. Somehow, the scene where Sesshōmaru makes Light admit that he wants Sesshōmaru feels too forceful. In the German language it does feel lighter, I don't know ... I guess it's because I'm not a native English speaker and have trouble feeling the slight differences between words with similar meaning.
> 
> Now when it comes to Light, I enjoy seeing him pushing back at Sesshōmaru with words and physical action. Writing him in this way is very satisfying:D


	12. Chapter 12

Light's nails stabbed painfully into his palms and his knuckles stood out white. He had been sitting in front of the door to General Keisuke's chambers for five minutes, waiting for the crow demon to invite him in. Keisuke took his time, even though he knew Light was waiting outside his door. Light hated being ignored. His hands itched to yank open the door and rush into the room, however, this would only unnecessarily burden the upcoming conversation from the start; it would also seem unprofessional and Light was anything but unprofessional. So he pressed his lips together and placed his palms on his legs. He was Sesshōmaru's mate! That the crow demon had the audacity to keep him waiting out here in the cold corridor for so long! Light stared angrily at the door; images were carved into the wood. He recognized Mount Fujiyama, Japan's highest mountain, and upon closer inspection of the door, he noticed herons passing by in the sky.

Light could not suppress a flinch when the door was suddenly pushed aside and Keisuke appeared behind it. The crow demon eyed him with an expressionless face, then bowed curtly and stepped aside. Light rose from the floor, bowed as well and entered the General's chambers. No sooner had Light entered the room than his eyes fell on the table in the center of the room, which was littered with documents and rolls of rice paper were piled up. An ink stone and a brush - the bristles of the brush was wet with black ink - lay ready to be used.

"How can I help you, Yagami-sama? I admit I’m surprised to find you outside my private chambers. I didn't think anything would ever bring you to these rooms. It must be very important."

"Believe me _General_ , this will not become a habit."

Keisuke's expressionless face broke and he smirked when he heard Light's words.

Light remained composed, even though Keisuke's smug smile displeased him. He chose to ignore it and his attention was drawn to the back of the room, where many weapons of various sizes and shapes were displayed on a wall. "You have an impressive collection," Light admitted as he walked over to it. Keisuke followed him.

Light saw swords with long and short blades, curved and straight, decorated with kanjis and without - he counted fourteen in total. There was a spear hanging on the wall. A piece of fur was directly wrapped around below the spearhead - it was red, probably fox fur. Further to the right Light recognized a black fan. Long shiny dark feathers adorned it, resembling Keisuke's crow feathers peeking out from between his jet-black hair. The feathers were held by green jade in which an artist had carved a battle scene.

Light reached out to touch one of the swords in front of him. Something drew him particular to this weapon among all others, there was this urge to step closer and take the sword from the wall. Without really being aware of what he was doing he moved his hand to grab the hilt. Light blinked and wet his lips, his mind was strangely calm; he knew something was wrong, and yet it felt natural and comfortable to not do anything about it, to not even question it, but to allow this foreign presence to fully enter his mind. Before he managed to touch the hilt of the sword, Light’s hand was snatched away; cold and firm was the grip around his wrist, and he was dragged away from the wall to the other side of the room. Only then did Light blink away the veil that had settled over him, clouding his consciousness, making him sleepy.

"What was that?" asked Light startled. Keisuke let go of him, and Light looked back to the sword on the wall. Someone had spoken to him, a deep voice had commanded him to pick up the sword.

"The yōkai living inside the sword was about to possess you. Ningen are too weak to defend themselves against his yōki. Had you touched the sword, you would have become his servant. It would have been a mess to free you …"

Light nodded slowly, glad Keisuke prevented it from happening. What a foolish mishap, he thought. He had to be more careful, it was risky to show weakness in front of the General. "Then it's fortunate that Keisuke-sama was present." Light smiled, it was a fake smile; Keisuke merely stared back at him.

Light looked again to the wall with the neatly arranged weapons, a discovery he had not expected to make in the General's chambers. "Who did all those weapons belong to? I find it hard to imagine they're all yours."

"Hai, not a single one is originally mine," said Keisuke in a voice that suddenly took on a tone as if he were feverishly anticipating a new battle, "but since their owners no longer are among the living, it’s I whom they serve now."

Light looked at Keisuke amused. "So you collect your enemies' weapons as trophies."

"Whether I take the weapon of my fallen opponent depends on whether I’m interested in its ability. Some of them are heirlooms of yōkai clans with fascinating abilities others are from excellent weaponsmiths." Keisuke disappeared beside Light to stand next to the spear. He took it from its holder to cut with it through the air.

An ominous crackling sound filled the room, Light saw countless small blue bolts whiz up the spear and Keisuke's arm. The yōkai remained unaffected by it. Keisuke grabbed the spear with both hands and extended it horizontally in front of him.

"This is _aoiro ton'neru,_ it was forged by Tōtōsai for the heir of the panther clan of the South. I defeated their heir, Tatsemuna-sama, in the second war of the West. They lost their prince, but the panther clan didn’t want learn that no matter how many times they attack the West, they will always be inferior to the inu clan." Keisuke placed the spear vertically beside him. "It would have been my pleasure to have faced the resurrected panther daiyōkai, Hyōtsusei, with his heir’s weapon. To see his face when I told him that I had sent his son to the afterlife."

Keisuke spun the spear through the air once more, then placed it back on the wall. Without being connected to the his yōki, the blue bolts disappeared, leaving behind an inconspicuous weapon that looked no different from a normal human spear.

It hadn't been obvious by any means, merely a fleeting moment that didn't even last a blink of an eye, and yet it had been enough for Light to notice; Light had seen Keisuke's anger when he spoke about the panther clan.

"Why weren't you there when Hyōtsusei was defeated a second time?" Light knew from Inuyasha about the events he and his ningen friends had been involved in a few years ago: the panther clan had performed a ritual to bring their daiyōkai, Hyōtsusei, back from the dead. Sesshōmaru, Inuyasha and his friends had fought against Hyōtsusei and the rest of the panther clan. Hyōtsusei was defeated by Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha and sent back to the underworld once more - the remaining yōkais of the panther clan then fled to the South. If the General wasn't there? Light calculated the year in which the event had taken place ... and quickly came to the conclusion that it could only have been because of...

"Yashimaru-sama's safety was and is of the utmost importance," Keisuke replied with a sideways glance at Light. "There was always the possibility that Naraku might learn of Yashimaru-sama's existence and attack the castle to weaken Sesshōmaru-sama. Since Sesshōmaru-sama was looking for Naraku, I stayed by the prince's side. As the heir of the West it's the clan's duty to protect him as long as he cannot protect himself."

Keisuke's words made Light ponder and raised a question he was asking himself not for the first time. How old was the crow demon? Determining the age of a yōkai was extremely difficult, as they aged very slowly. It seemed impossible for Light to draw any conclusions purely based on appearance. Sesshōmaru appeared young, no older than his mid-twenties, but possessed experience of several hundred years.

While reading about yōkais in Sesshōmaru's library, Light had also studied the wars the inu clan had fought with other yōkai clans in the past. Among some old scrolls he had found records of the unfolding of the first two wars against the panther clan. In the first battle the panther clan was still able to assemble a large army. They had strong fighters, and they rapidly conquered one region after the other. Only the union of several yōkai clans was able to stop the panther clan's army as it marched north. At that time Inu no Taishō defeated Hyōtsusei in a gigantic battle at the foot of Mount Fujiyama. The survivors of the panther clan were either captured, went into hiding or fled to the south. This battle was dated in the scrolls as the year 1145 and known as the _Battle of the Four Daiy_ _ōkais._

In another scroll Light read of the second war, this time against Hyōtsusei's son, Tatsemuna, this took place in the year 1403. To defeat Tatsemuna, Keisuke himself must have been several hundred years old. If the spear, aoiro ton'neru, was such a powerful weapon, then Keisuke could only win against its owner if he himself had already been an excellent fighter at that time. Keisuke had to have been born shortly before the first war or after, making him around four hundred years old.

Light clasped his hands behind his back and took a step towards Keisuke, who regarded him with attention. Light's smile grew. "I'm surprised that in all the centuries no more weapons have found a place on your wall of victory. It seems you are difficult to please, Keisuke-sama."

Keisuke crossed the distance between himself and Light. "Why is my lord's mate suddenly interested in what pleases me and what does not?" Keisuke stepped closer, too close for Light - he now stood directly in front of him. It seemed Keisuke didn’t care to keep a respectful distance.

Only a few centimeters separated them. Light's primal instincts stirred, sending out stress signals that Light immediately tried to suppress, unwilling to reveal his emotions through his scent. For his primal instincts Light was in the presence of a hunter, a scavenger who could gouge his eyes out if he so wished. Light forced himself to keep a relaxed expression, even though it took a lot out of him. He was annoyed at his weakness, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it except trying to remain as calm as possible. Keisuke would not harm him, the General of the West would never dare. Light firmly returned Keisuke's gaze, who was just waiting for Light to show his discomfort openly.

"Why are you here, Yagami-sama?" Keisuke's hot breath blew against Light's cheek.

"Why are you so close to me?" countered Light.

Keisuke smirked. "Because I can and I'm allowed to, but I think the real question is, do I make you nervous?"

Light's expression darkened. "Is your nose failing you? You should be able to answer this question yourself." Keisuke was allowed to be that close to him? How far did that permission go, and how far did the demon dare to take advantage of it?

"You are nervous, even if you try to hide it behind your mask." Keisuke came so close that their noses nearly touched. "What works with humans can easily be seen through by yōkais. Yagami-sama, you remind me of a kabuki actor."

Light noticed Keisuke's yōki touching him here and there, barely noticeably, but it didn't make the fact any better that the crow demon was trying to intimidate him. 

Instead of showing his anger, Light commented on Keisuke's words with his eyebrows raised. He tilted his head to the side, pulling his mouth up in a smirk. "Don't be mislead by my emotions, Keisuke-sama. Besides, an animal full of fear can still inflict a mortal wound on its attacker." A moment later Light snorted softly. "This is the first time I've been compared to a kabuki actor. Do you want me to seriously entertain the idea, a kabuki actor, do they even exist among yōkais?"

"They do not and hai, I want to hear it from you, Yagami-sama."

Light was aware of Keisuke’s intention: He was pushing Light to reveal more about himself. "Well then," said Light in a mocking tone. "A kabuki actor knows how to slip easily into different roles. There's a certain power the actor has over the audience by leading them through the play and deciding what the audience is allowed to explore. I wonder ... if the kabuki actor really just wears a _mask_ … or if every emotion the actor shows is exactly the emotion the kabuki actor feels in that very moment on stage, emotions consciously picked by the actor and easily exchanged for the next one." 

Keisuke frowned. There was a long pause of silent. "Are you implying a kabuki actor is able to choose emotions in a controlled manner? Like making me believe you’re feeling nervous right now?" There was a hint of curiosity in Keisuke’s monotone voice.

"I do feel honored you think so highly of me, Keisuke-sama. It's certainly good to know, but no, I don’t have the ability to fool you in such a way, though I wouldn't choose the word _'nervous'_ to describe what you must sense from me right now."

Light roughly understood how demons sensed emotions: Scent and the heartbeat were probably most important to them. Light's own scent must give off a mixed message: His primal instincts still saw Keisuke as a threat while his mind was absolutely certain Keisuke wouldn't harm him. Light's heartbeat was calm, he couldn't hear nor feel his heart pounding in his chest, and yet he knew Keisuke would be able to notice the slightest difference.

"I never thought you were able to, Yagami-sama, it’s an impossible feat even for a kabuki actor." He was still standing way too close, and Light kept feeling Keisuke’s yōki. "If _nervous_ is the wrong word... are you willing to hear a more precise definition of your emotions?"

"Enough with your games!" Light pushed Keisuke away from him with a powerful shove, and Light was glad the crow demon allowed himself to be thrown backwards. "Listen, _General_ , I came to your chambers because of my shinigami."

Keisuke eyes widened in honest surprise, then he laughed. "Yagami-sama is sent by his shinigami as if he's an insignificant messenger. You really don't seem to control him."

"Believe what you want. I'm not here to talk about the relationship between me and my shinigami." Light's countenance darkened. "It's about the apples. Ryuk wants to be able to approach them again without being exorcised."

"You seem to change your mind quickly. I thought you don't care about what happens to your shinigami?"

"Changing one's mind ... you hold that against me? So you’re a yōkai who would rather hold on to old habits and rigid patterns than adapt to new circumstances?"

Keisuke walked past Light and opened a window.

Cold air flowed in, making Light shiver, despite being wrapped in several layers of fabric.

"And what circumstances have led to you suddenly seeing value in your shinigami?"

"That, Keisuke-sama, is none of your business."

"You want me to allow your shinigami to eat the rest of the apples."

"Not allow, I command."

A red gleam flitted across Keisuke's black eyes. A low growl cut through the room, startling the birds outside. If a moment ago chirping was heard, the room was eerily silent now, a silence broken only by distant sounds of servants.

Light's heart leapt and he winced as he became aware of the demon's body directly behind him. Keisuke did not touch him, yet Light could feel Keisuke's body heat on his skin. A moment later he did feel a hand with sharp nails resting on his shoulder, while a mouth appeared next to his left ear.

"Sesshōmaru-sama never informed you."

"What do you mean?" whispered Light. His lips quivered with suppressed anger. The General dared to touch him! Light clenched his hands.

"The Alpha's mate cannot give me orders. You are not Beta, Yagami-sama. You are directly under me."

"So if I tell you to let _go - of - me_ , then it's your decision whether you follow my words?" he hissed at Keisuke.

"Hai, whatever you demand, I don't have to comply." As if to demonstrate how much power he possessed as a Beta, Keisuke squeezed Light's shoulder - the grip was firm, extremely provocative, but Keisuke seemed to have enough control that not a single one of his sharp nails pierced the fabric or Light's skin.

Light's jaw hardened, his teeth clenched tightly together. Damn this yōkai! he was furious, but he forced himself to calm down, and to not let his anger cloud his judgment, he didn't want to jeopardize the next step of his plan.

With a quick move, Light unsheathed his sword, whirled his body around and struck at Keisuke with all his strength. _Clang!_ Their swords clashed against each other. Keisuke parried his attack with ease, yet didn't counterattack; however his expression was priceless, Light thought with great satisfaction, his eyes were comically wide; Keisuke was dumbstruck, and he stared at Light with a deep frown, before he shielded his emotions and his face turned blank.

"You may be Beta, but I am still your Alpha's mate!" With that Light took a step to the side and struck at Keisuke once more. As expected Keisuke fended off each of Light's attacks without taking the offensive himself. But he growled warningly when Light drove him back. Light saw Keisuke was getting annoyed with Light's behavior, his eyes turned even darker than they already were, and Light felt Keisuke's yōki flare up, but surprisingly it stayed away from him.

"What are you going to do now, Keisuke-sama?" mocked Light. "Do you want to harm Sesshōmaru-sama's mate? Wounds take a long time for us ningen to heal. You have no choice but to let me be!"

Keisuke stopped another one of Light’s attack from breaking through his defense. "Such confidence, Yagami-sama," he growled angrily back. "You're treading on very dangerous ground and you don't even understand it!"

Keisuke was wrong, Light understood all too well how dangerous he was playing, how crazy it was to attack the General, a yōkai who only a short time ago told him he had defeated the panther clan's heir. But this was not about one striking down the other, this was about dominance; it was a fight for respect and for power in the inu clan hierarchy.

"Yagami-sama, put your sword back!" barked Keisuke. "Now!"

"I refuse your _command!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a difficult chapter to translate, there was a problem with the plot and I had to rewrite one part. Keisuke will be the most fleshed out oc in this story next to Yōsuke.
> 
> When I read stories playing in Sesshōmaru’s castle I always miss the interaction with other demons of the castle. Most of the time the castle’s inhabitants are background people who don’t play major roles and are just being used for being a servant bringing food. This story will have a closer look at different demons of the inu clan, it explores how Sesshōmaru runs his clan.
> 
> I’m aware how much my writing style differs from the usual writing styles found on AO3, and I know my chapters are of lower quality when it comes to English sentence structure, grammar and spelling; that’s why I’m always very happy when I see I got a new subscriber, therefore thank you to everyone who keeps reading my story, I really appreciate it:D


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